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copyrighted  by 

Reliable  Poultry  Journal  Publishing  Co., 

April  1,  1901, 

quincy,  illinois. 


RELIABLE 


POULTRY  REMEDIES 


POULTRYMAN^S  HAND-BOOK 


TRIED-AND-PROVED  REMEDIES  FOR  THE  COMMON 
DISEASES  OF  POULTRY. 


FOURTH  EDITIOlSr. 


PRICE,  TWENTY-FIVE  CENTS. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

RKUABIvE  POUIvTRY  JOURNAI.  PUBLISHING  CO. 

QUINCY,    ILLINOIS. 


(f?  ?,  1 
INTRODUCTION. 


1~^HIS  little  book  was  first  published  more  especially  for  the  benefit 
of  the  friends  and  patrons  of  the  Reliable  Poultry  Journal.  It 
was  not  put  forth  as  a  money-making  scheme,  except  as  a  time- 
saver.  We  were  led  to  publish  it  on  account  of  the  hundreds  of 
letters  received  each  year  from  readers  of  the  Journal,  asking  for  advice 
and  help  in  the  care  and  treatment  of  their  poultry,  both  in  health  and 
sickness,  and  owing  to  our  inability  to  give  them  in  the  short  space  of  a 
"reply  by  mail"  the  help  they  needed.  It  is  hoped  this  book  will  be  of 
real  service  to  them.  With  this  edition  the  size  of  the  pages  have  been 
materially  increased,  still  they  are  but  half  as  large  as  the  regular  size  of 
the  other  books  issued  by  this  company,  because  of  the  greater  conven- 
ience in  handling  this  sized  book  in  the  chicken  yard. 

A  number  of  remedies  given  for  the  same  disease  need  not  confuse 
anyone.  A  physician  knows  of  several  remedies,  one  of  which  may  be 
better  than  the  others,  but  in  its  absence  he  uses  another  with  more  or 
less  success.  So  in  doctoring  sick  chicks  and  fowls,  use  whichever  rem- 
edy is  at  hand.     Time  is  often  an  important  factor  in  a,  cure. 

We  expect  to  continue  to  revise  and  re-issue  RELIABLE  POULTRY 
REMEDIES  from  time  to  time,  with  a  view  to  improving  it,  and  we  ask 
the  co-operation  of  interested  persons.  Reports,  therefore,  of  your  suc- 
cess In  applying  the  remedies  given  in  this  edition,  also  new  remedies 
that  you  have  tried  and  found  to  be  good,  will  be  much  appreciated. 

Fraternally  yours, 
RELIABLE    POULTRY   JOURNAL    PUB.    CO. 
Quincy,  111.,  April  1,  1901. 


STANDARD  POULTRY  BOOKS. 


In  the  back  pages  of  this  book  will  be  found  a  description  of 
the  other  books  published  by  this  company  and  of  the  American 
Standard  of  Perfection.  We  present  this  list  of  books  with  pleas- 
ure and  confidence — pleasure  that  we  can  serve  our  friends  and 
patrons,  confidence  that  in  these  books  we  have  given  to  the 
public  the  best  thoughts  and  experience  of  the  leading  authori- 
ties on  the  different  subjects.  To  the  beginner  the  books  treat- 
ing of  the  subjects  most  interesting  to  him,  will  be  almost  inval- 
uable, while  even  the  veteran  in  the  poultry  business  will  find 
much  to  interest  him  and  we  doubt  not,  some  new  knowledge. 


PREVENTION  AND  CURE  OF  POULTRY  DISEASES. 


J^n  Exhaustive  Treatise  on  the  Diseases  Common  to  Fowls,  both  Old  and  Young,  with 
Causes,  Sjmiptoms.  Treatment  and  Remedies. 


BY  DR.  W.  W.  SANBORN,  WELLESLEY  HILLS,  MASS. 

IN  RECENT  years  we  have  been  handling  poultry  ailments  from  the 
wrong  end.  Too  many  times  we  have  sought  a  remedy  for  a  disease 
when  we  should  have  learned  the  cause  that  produced  the  condi- 
tion so  as  to  avoid  it  in  the  future.  For  every  inch  of  space  given 
in  poultry  journals  to  prevention,  one  hundred  have  been  devoted 
to  remedies  and  cures.  This  is  wrong.  There  is  more  satisfaction  and 
profit  in  keeping  healthy  poultry  than  in  curing  sick  birds.  With  sick 
birds  we  not  only  have  the  care  and  expense  of  the  cure,  but  there  is  the 
loss  of  production  during"  the  time,  as  well  as  the  still  greater  danger  of 
having  on  hand  birds  weak  in  vitality  when  the  hatching  season  arrives. 
The  corner  stone  of  successful  poultry  keeping  is  healthy  stock.  Healthy 
birds  will  grow  well,  lay  satisfactorily  and  reproduce  themselves,  while 
sick  birds  are  a  source  of  trouble  to  the  owner.  "We  can  only  think  of 
succeeding  with  poultry  when  we  have  learned  the  causes  as  well  as 
the  cures  of  poultry  diseases.  The  man  who  is  constantly  asking  about 
his  sick  birds  is  not  getting  financial  returns  from  his  plant,  and  prob- 
ably counts  himself  among  those  who  are  having  "bad  luck."  Too  many 
beginners  with  poultry  fail  because  they  start  with  birds  that  have  not 
the  vigor  of  well-bred  stock.  Too  long  inbred,  late-hatched,  weak  stock 
never  give  good  results.  It  does  not  pay  to  breed  from  a.  bird  that  shows 
a  tendency  to  weakness,  no  matter  how  high  it  may  score.  Every  breeder 
should  be  sure  that  his  stock  is  healthy  and  that  it  was  bred  from  heal- 
thy stock,  and  his  chicks  will  have  vigor. 

Inbreeding  and  Its  Limits. 

Inbreeding  may  or  may  not  be  a  factor  in  causing  disease.  The 
mating  of  two  perfectly  healthy  birds  can  be  expected  to  give  good 
results.  The  danger  is  that  both  birds  may  have  a  tendency  toward  a 
certain  diseased  condition  and  the  mating  will  intensify  the  trouble  in 
the  chicks.  To  a  certain  extent  it  is  right  for  the  poultryman  to  inbreed 
hut  the  more  he  practices  it  the  more  sure  he  must  be  that  he  is  using 
only  strong,  well  birds.  The  beginner  in  keeping  hens  should  buy 
fresh  blood  every  year  until  he  has  learned  to  succeed  with  common 
■matings.     It  is  not  necessary  to  "have  all  kinds  mixed,"  as  a  woman 


;lh  1 9^^ 


6  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

recently  said  to  me.  The  day  of  the  barnyard  fowl  is  passed.  The  stan- 
dard-bred bird  of  to-day  is  stronger  and  gives  more  eggs  and  pounds  of 
meat  than  did  the  bird  of  our  childhood.  Every  fancier  can  help  along 
the  bird  of  his  choice  by  keeping  it  high  in  strength  and  vigor.  Study 
your  birds.  Learn  their  weak  points  and  strive  to  overcome  them. 
Much  has  been  done  along  this  line,  but  there  is  yet  much  undone.  The 
fancier  deserves  more  praise  for  what  he  has  done  in  successful  poultry 
keeping  than  has  generally  been  given  him.  Let  not  the  utility  breeder 
despise  the  fancier,  for  they  are  nearer  related  than  they  think.  See 
what  has  been  done  with  the  horse  and  cow  in  past  years,  and  let  us 
not  be  satisfied  "with  the  hen  until  we  have  attained  as  good  results. 
Inbreeding  is  a  subject  that  has  attracted  a  deal  of  attention  and  there 
has  been  much  contention  over  the  questions  involved.  Volumes  have 
been  written  and  the  ground  gone  over  thoroughly,  yet  the  last  word  to 
be  written  seems  far  in  the  future. 

Care  Required  in  Feeding. 

Wrong  feeding  is  another  prolific  factor  in  producing  disease.  The 
best  stock,  if  fed  incorrectly,  will  give  only  indifferent  results  and  is 
sure  to  develop  some  form  of  sickness  There  is  no  "best  ration"  to 
suit  all  breeds,  all  ages,  all  seasons  or  conditions.  Along  the  line  of 
careful  study  in  poultry  feeding  very  little  has  been  done.  Here  and 
there  a  breeder  has  done  good  work,  but  it  has  been  lost  because  not 
reduced  to  writing.  Experiment  stations  seem  to  have  forgotten  that 
the  poultry  industry  produces  more  wealth  than  any  other  branch  of 
agriculture.  Hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  expended  on 
the  study  of  cows  and  their  feeding  (well  spent,  too),  but  time  and 
money  should  have  been  given  to  the  investigation  of  poultry.  Stations 
in  eNw  York,  Utah  and  especially  in  Rhode  Island,  are  to  be  commended 
for  the  good  already  accomplished  and  for  the  promise  they  give  to 
devote  more  time  to  this  important  economic  subject.  Rhode  Island  is 
not  only  working  out  these  problems  and  putting  them  in  print,  but  is 
also  impressing  them  directly  upon  the  minds  of  poultrymen  through  its 
winter  class  in  "poultry  culture." 

Right  feeding  will  eliminate  much  sickness.  Overfeeding  induces 
a  plethoric  condition  of  the  bird  which  is  liable  to  be  followed  by  indi- 
gestion. On  the  contrary,  the  giving  of  a  ration  insufficient  in  food 
value  produces  an  anaemic  state  of  body  which  furnishes  a  good  breed- 
ing ground  for  disease.  The  use  of  a  diet  lacking  in  any  of  the  elements 
needed  to  sustain  life  and  produce  paying  results,  or  the  feeding  of  a 
ration  in  which  an  over  supply  of  one  of  the  elements  is  given,  disar- 
ranges the  animal  economy  and  brings  dangerous  results  from  a  health- 
ful standpoint.  Feeding  a  strictly  grain  diet,  without  any  bulky  food, 
will  in  time  tell  upon  the  bodily  condition  of  the  bird.  Fortunately  a 
bird  with  half  a  chance  will  manage  to  find  waste  of  some  kind,  even 
though  it  be  old  leaves  or  chaff.  A  hen  needs  "filling"  just  as  much  as 
a  cow,  and  it  is  as  much  common  sense  teaching  to  advocate  the  giving. 
of  clover  hay  to  one  as  the  other. 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  7 

Necessity  of  Grit. 
Another  pitfall  to  healthy  poultry  is  a  lack  of  grinding  material.  To 
■give  good  grain  to  your  birds  and  then  have  it  wasted  because  they  can 
not  find  sharp  grit  to  grind  it  with  is  poor  economy.  A  short  time  ago 
1  saw  a  flock  of  four-months-old  chicks  dying  because  they  were  unable 
to  reach  grit.  In  some  sections  of  the  country  there  is  little  available 
grit,  and  it  is  important  to  health  as  well  as  to  profit  that  grinding  mate- 
rial be  supplied.  Some  of  the  so-called  cases  of  cholera  are  simply  indi- 
gestion and  diarrhoea  from  lack  of  grit. 

Impure  Water  a  Disease  Breeder. 

Impure  water  is  a  cause  of  many  sick  birds.  All  birds  drinking  bad 
water  do  not  become  sick.  If  they  did,  the  letters  to  poultry  editors  ask- 
ing what  to  do  "for  my  sick  birds"  would  be  too  many  to  answer.  Towns 
and  cities  known  to  be  healthful  are  sure  to  have  a  pure  water  supply, 
and  poultry  plants  that  are  known  as  producers  of  sturdy  birds  are  care- 
ful to  supply  clean  water.  Not  only  must  good  water  be  given,  but  the 
dishes  must  be  kept  free  from  filth.  Water  is  so  cheap,  and  so  easily 
given,  that  it  seems  a  pity  that  so  many  seem  to  think  it  is  something  to 
be  supplied  or  not,  as  is  convenient.  Hens  insufficiently  supplied  with 
water  are  poor  layers,  and  if  the  available  water  is  bad  they  are  in  a 
condition  to  contract  disease  because  of  their  lowered  vitality.  Filthy 
water  is  a  good  carrier  of  catarrh,  roup  and  cholera  germs.  Cleaning 
daily  the  water  dishes  and  giving  fresh  water  diminishes  the  danger  of 
these  severe  diseases  getting  a  foot-hold.  Many  a  promising  lot  of 
brooder  chicks  have  died  solely  owing  to  being  obliged  to  drink  warm, 
filthy  water,  while  the  owner  of  the  birds  comforted  himself  by  thinking 
that  the  diarrhea  must  have  been  owing  to  a  "cold." 

Filthy  or  Wet  Quarters. 

Filthy  brooders,  houses  or  yards  are  a  constant  source  of  danger  to 
any  fiock.  To  be  obliged  to  breathe  the  air  of  a  long  uncleaned  brooder, 
or  to  pick  up  grain  or  mash  from  a  dirty  floor,  is  to  run  a  risk  too  great 
to  be  safe.  Houses  that  are  strong  smelling  from  uncleaned  dropping 
boards  and  damp,  filthy  fioors  are  hotbeds  of  disease.  Yards  that  are 
sticky  with  filth  after  every  rain  are  not  to  be  desired  from  a  healthful 
standpoint.  Filth  in  any  form  is  a  constant  source  of  danger  that  should 
at  all  times  be  guarded  against.  Many  of  the  acute  diseases  that  take 
off  whole  flocks  find  the  best  conditions  present  in  filthy  surroundings. 

Excessive  wet  or  dampness  presents  a  favorable  breeding  ground 
for  some  diseases.  The  location  of  a  poultry  plant  upon  or  even  near 
wet  soil  is  to  be  avoided.  A  hen  keeps  in  best  working  condition  when 
yarded  and  housed  upon  light,  sandy  soil.  If  already  settled  in  a  damp 
place  something  can  be  done  by  draining  and  filling,  but  there  must  be 
constant  care  to  overcome  the  unfavorable  corcumstances.  It  ought  not 
be  necessary  to  speak  of  dampness  from  leaky  roofs,  but  I  find  too  many 
poultrymen  that  are  careless  in  this  respect. 

Houses  need  to  be  carefully  watched  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  espe- 


8  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

cially  in  winter,  to  see  tliat  no  opening  comes  to  let  in  water.  The  snow 
often  dams  up  near  tlie  gutter  and  if  ttie  roof  is  not  well  covered  the 
water  will  work  in  and  wet  both  scratching  material  and  earth  floor, 
which  is  likely  to  be  followed  by  catarrh  or  roup. 

When  building  upon  hillsides  see  that  the  natural  flow  of  surface 
water  is  not  against  the  building.  I  have  seen  a  house,  one  hundred  feet 
in  length,  thoughtlessly  placed  so  that  in  winter  the  water  would  dam 
up  behind  it  thirty  feet  wide,  flnally  working  under  the  foundations  and 
flooding  nearly  all  the  pens.  It  upset  all  cherished  plans  for  winter 
profit,  and  led,  I  think,  to  the  plant  being  offered  for  sale  through  a  real 
estate  broker.  Heat  , moisture  and  filth  are  to  blame  for  many  failures 
in  poultry  keeping.  Even  the  frost,  which  collects  in  winter  under  the 
roof  boards  and  on  the  walls,  may  be  the  cause  of  trouble.  There  is  only 
one  way  to  avoid  this  serious  condition  of  affairs.  Ventilate  thoroughly 
during  the  day,  getting  the  house  dry,  and  there  will  be  little  accumula- 
tion of  dampness  during  the  night.  I  have  seen  long  houses  built  with 
single  windows  to  each  pen  so  damp  as  to  cause  severe  colds.  The  burn- 
ing of  oil  stoves  in  these  houses  had  little  effect,  and  the  moisture  was 
finally  overcome  by  cutting  large  doors  in  the  front  of  each  pen,  giving 
free  ventilation  all  day.  The  scratching  shed  houses  are  seldom  troubled 
by  this  cause  of  dampness. 

Cold  and  Heat. 

Cold  and  heat  are  important  factors  in  the  production  of  disease. 
Of  the  two,  heat  is  more  to  be  feared  than  cold,  and  at  first  thought  it 
is  a  strange  fact  that  heat  in  winter  is  the  cause  of  disease.  An  ordi- 
nary hen  house,  with  only  one  window  to  each  ten  feet  of  length,  unless 
carefully  aired  during  the  day,  will  get  so  hot  at  noon  on  bright  days 
as  to  be  almost  unbearable.  To  the  hen  in  her  winter  coat  this  heat  is 
very  debilitating,  and  exposure  to  draft  or  cold  is  often  followed  by 
catarrh  or  bronchitis.  It  is  safer  to  have  a  cold  dry  house  than  one  that 
is  alternately  hot  and  cold.  Better  an  open  front  and  no  windows  than 
plenty  of  glass  and  close,  hot  air.  If  the  hens  are  kept  busy  during  the 
day  scratching  for  grain,  the  exercise  will  give  them  heat,  and  their 
warm  coat  of  feathers  will  keep  from  harm  all  birds  of  rose  comb  vari- 
eties. Some  of  the  most  healthy  birds  I  ever  saw  were  wintered  in  open 
front  houses,  in  which  the  doors  between  the  scratching  and 
roosting  rooms  were  never  tightly  closed.  These  birds  during 
the  blizzard  of  last  season  continued  to  lay  as  if  they  were  uncon- 
scious of  weather  changes.  A  warm  house  is  not  to  be  desired,  if  it  is 
to  be  had  by  the  use  of  too  much  glass  or  close  air.  The  close-air,  warm 
house  is  the  one  that  is  cold  at  night.  The  shut-in  damp  air  is  a  good 
conductor  of  heat  and  the  warmth  is  rapidly  radiated  during  the  night. 
Birds  exposed  to  the  great  changes  of  temperature  between  day  and 
night  ai-e  fit  subjects  to  all  the  catarrhal  diseases.  T  would  not  be  under- 
stood as  advising  the  use  of  open-front  houses,  but  between  the  tight 
front  and  the  open-front  house  there  is  a  medium  ^orth  seeking.  The 
more  glass  in  front,  the  more  need  of  carefiil  ventilation. 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  9 

Overheating  From.  Crowding. 

Crowding  on  the  roost,  because  of  too  large  numbers,  produces  an 
overheated  condition  favorable  to  colds,  and  this  is  as  true  in  summer 
as  in  winter.  Extremely  low,  temperature  will  produce  frosted  combs 
and  throw  the  birds  off  their  laying.  Tall-combed  birds  need  warmer 
houses  than  those  with  low  combs,  but  warmth  must  never  be  had  from 
crowded  ciuarters  or  close  air.  Unless  you  can  keep  your  birds  comfort- 
able in  a  house  without  artificial  heat,  dispose  of  them  and  get  a  variety 
with  comb  and  feathers  that  are  safe  in  your  climate. 
Drafts  and  Imperfect  Ventilation. 

Drafts  are  a  source  of  danger  to  healthy  stock.  A  broken  pane  of 
glass,  or  a  crack  in  the  wall,  will  let  a  current  of  air  in  on  a  bird  that  will 
do  more  mischief  than  seems  possible.  There  is  less  danger  from  the 
breeze  that  may  blow  through  an  open  shed  than  a  draft  through  a  small 
crack.  The  warmer  the  house  and  more  crowded  the  birds,  the  greater 
the  danger  of  disease.  Ventilators  are  the  cause  of  many  colds,  because 
they  are  commonly  arranged  so  that  snow  or  rain  find  their  way  in  on 
the  birds.  A  house  that  is  well  aired  during  the  daytime  and  is  kept 
clean  and  is  not  crowded  with  birds,  seldom  needs  any  ventilation  at 
night.  A  house  that  is  stifling  to  go  into  in  the  morning  generally  needs 
better  care  of  floors  and  dropping  boards,  rather  than  the  introduction 

of  more  air. 

Too  Many  Chicks  in  a  Brood. 

The  crowding  of  chicks  with  the  mother  hen  or  in  the  brooder  pro- 
duces sorry  results.  It  is  seldom  wise  from  a  healthful  point  of  view  to 
put  over  fifty  chicks  in  a  single  brooder  or  to  give  more  than  twenty  to 
d  hen.  A  larger  number  are  sure  to  be  crowded,  if  indeed  they  do  not 
crowd  themselves,  the  chicks  inside  the  mob  becoming  hot  and  damp  and 
taking  cold  when  exposed  to  the  outside  air.  This  summer  I  saw  one 
hundred  and  fifty  chicks  given  to  three  hens,  and  after  two  weeks'  exper- 
ience the  owner  was  glad  to  take  my  advice  and  remove  the  hens.  The 
chicks  crowded  less  without  than  with  the  hens.  Of  course  if  it  had  been 
earlier  in  the  season  the  chicks  could  not  have  got  along  without  some 

outside  heat. 

Foul  Air  and  Filthy  Quarters. 

A  factor  in  the  causation  of  disease  is  foul  air.  This  may  come  from 
having  too  many  chicks  or  hens  for  the  size  of  the  house,  the  air  being 
breathed  over  and  over  again,  and  becoming  more  filthy  the  longer  the 
birds  are  confined.  Foul  air  may  arise  from  uncleaned  floors  or  drop- 
ping boards,  heat  increasing  the  danger  of  it.  The  danger  from  many 
of  the  brooders  now  sold  is  not  irregular  heat,  but  too  small  a  provision 
for  pure  air.  The  little  chicks  sleep  in  a  small  chamber,  in  which  their 
droppings  accumulate,  and  unless  abundant  currents  of  warm  air  are 
introduced  the  air  is  soon  unfit  for  use.  There  are  many  good  incuba- 
tors, but  few  good  brooders.  With  chicks  out  in  coops  or  boxes  in  the 
field,  arrange  so  that  there  will  be  air  without  drafts.  In  no  better  way 
can  this  be  done  than  by  having  the  fronts  of  all  coops  covered  with  inch 


10  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

wire  netting  oi'  laths.  Foul  air  seems  to  play  too  important  a  part  ia 
cases  of  roup  to  be  allowed  to  exist  on  the  premises  of  any  thoughtful 
poultryman. 

Protection  from  Exposure. 

Storms  are  a  prolific  cause  of  disease.  We  cannot  help  the  rain  and 
snow,  but  we  must  keep  our  birds  from  severe  exposure.  When  to 
keep  our  birds  indoors,  away  from  falling  snow  or  driving  rain,  is  not 
hard  to  decide,  but  the  sudden  changes  that  come  at  all  times  of  the  year 
must  be  promptly  met.  It  is  only  by  constant  watchfulness  that  our 
flock  escapes  illness  from  nature's  ways.  Little  chicks,  whether  with 
hens  or  brooder,  need  oversight  to  avoid  the  effects  of  a  sudden  storm. 
It  is  money  saved  to  provide  room  enough  to  keep  all  birds  indoors  on 
stormy  days.  The  loss  of  a  brooderful  of  chicks  or  a  pen  of  birds  would 
go  far  toward  providing  ample  accommodation  for  the  stock. 
Lack  of  Shade  from.  Summer's  Sun. 

The  intense  heat  of  summer,  unless  there  is  escape  from  it  in  some 
way,  ofttimes  produces  trouble.  On  the  farm  the  overheated  bird  can 
escape  to  the  cool  barn  cellar  or  to  some  orchard,  but  on  our  modern 
poultry  plant  the  bird  has  little  choice  of  her  own.  If  the  division  boards 
of  the  yards  are  high  enough  they  will  cast  some  shade  for  part  of  the 
day,  but  at  high  noon  these  boards  are  worth  little  for  this  purpose.  The 
houses  on  the  hot  days  are  too  warm  to  be  depended  upon  for  retreat. 
The  arranging  of  brush  or  boards  in  the  yards  will  be  helpful,  but  after 
all  there  is  no  shade  like  that  of  a  tree  in  full  leaf.  The  wise  poultryman 
will  early  plan  to  set  out  trees  in  all  his  yards.  For  this  purpose  the 
apple  tree  seems  to  feel  at  home  in  the  conditions  that  are  present  in 
rich  soil  and  grass  covered  yards.  The  apple  tree  in  the  hen  yard  is  a 
rapid  grower  and  comes  early  into  bearing.  Little  chicks  and  fowls  out 
in  the  field,  if  allowed  shelter  from  the  hot  sun,  well  repay  in  health  and 
growth  for  the  trouble  taken  to  provide  their  retreat. 
Right  Amount  of  Exercise. 

Exercise,  too  much  or  too  little,  has  a  bearing  on  health,  and,  what 
appeals  to  poultrymen,  a  relation  to  profits.  If  the  bird  has  to  work  for 
its  grain  in  scratching  material  so  deep  that  it  cannot  get  food  enough 
for  its  needs,  or  if  obliged  to  range  too  far  for  its  food,  it  will  never  do 
its  best,  either  in  growth  or  egg  yield.  On  the  other  hand,  the  bird  that 
has  no  work  to  perform  in  getting  its  living  is  sluggish  and  is  a  poor 
layer.  Leg  weakness  can  be  avoided  and  strength  gained  by  proper  exer- 
cise on  the  part  of  the  little  chicks.  It  is  a  mistake  to  let  a  hen  that  has 
been  shut  in  on  the  nest  for  three  weeks  drag  her  chicks  around  all  day. 
Much  better  results  may  be  obtained  by  yarding  and  feeding  them  two- 
thirds  of  each  day.  The  busy,  bustling  hen  is  the  bird  that  is  well  and 
pays  a  profit. 

Care  in  Eeeding. 

The  feeding  of  hens  bears  a  certain  relation  to  healthy  stock.  Not 
only  the  quantities  of  the  articles  fed,  but  also  the  way  it  is  given,  pro- 
duce good  or  bad  results.     All  grain  fed,  except  just  at  night,  should  be 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  11 

given  in  scratching  material.  This  can  be  any  waste  hay  or  straw  that 
is  dry.  If  it  is  wet  or  even  damp  the  food  will  take  some  of  the  filth 
that  will  always  accumulate  in  a  hen  house,  and  filth  is  never  to  be 
desired  in  connection  with  paying  poultry.  Mash  ought  to  be  given  in 
clean  troughs  or  on  boards.  The  arrangement  should  be  such  that  there 
is  no  crowding  or  fighting  among  the  birds  to  get  the  food.  If  the  hens 
are  obliged  to  seize  a  mouthful  and  run  to  some  wet  spot  to  eat  it,  in 
the  process  it  will  get  mixed  with  some  of  the  droppings  and  become 
undesirable  for  healthy  poultry. 

Brooder  chicks  need  special  care  in  furnishing  them  clean  food. 
Too  many  die  from  dirty  food  to  allow  us  to  relax  our  efforts  to  keep 
their  mash  and  dry  grain  in  proper  condition.  Hens  will  stand  food  that 
will  kill  growing  birds.  When  possible,  feed  all  little  chicks  far  enough 
from  the  house  or  brooder  to  escape  most  of  the  droppings.  Never  feed 
wet  food  on  the  ground  or  where  it  can  be  mixed  with  foul  earth. 

High  Roosts  Cause  Bumble  Foot. 

High  roosts  are  one  cause  of  bumble  foot.  While  it  is  "nature"  for 
a  hen  to  roost  high,  it  is  only  when  the  grass  covered  ground  is  at  hand 
that  the  bird  is  safe  from  danger  of  injury  to  the  feet.  In  most  cases, 
six  inches  above  the  droppings  board  is  right.  If  thei-e  is  a  raised  edge 
to  the  droppings  board  the  bird  can  step  from  one  to  the  other  and  then 
easily  to  the  floor.  The  droppings  beared  itself  should  only  be  high 
enough  to  allow  room  for  an  egg  box  underneath.  If  there  is  no  other 
place  for  the  birds  to  roost  they  will  accept  the  low  roost,  thereby  avoid- 
ing the  dangers  of  one  that  is  higher. 

Droppings  Boards  and  Their  Accumulations. 
Droppings  boards  should  be  kept  clean.  To  allow  the  filth  to  accu- 
mulate is  to  furnish  an  atmosphere  to  the  sleeping  birds  that  Is  irritating 
to  the  mucous  surfaces  of  the  thi'oat  and  bronchial  tubes.  Some  of  the 
cases  of  chronic  bronchitis  are  due  to  this  cause.  After  cleaning  the 
boards,  sprinkle  groundplaster  on  the  surface  to  sweeten  and  keep 
sweet  the  boards.  Ground  plaster  is  worth  its  cost  for  the  good  it  will 
do  when  applied  to  the  garden.  If  unable  to  procure  the  plaster  the  use 
of  dry  earth  or  finely  sifted  coal  ashes  will  give  good  results.  Do  not 
use  lime  to  dust  the  boards,  as  it  sets  free  the  ammonia  contained  in 
the  droppings,  and  this  is  an  irritant  to  the  organs  of  respiration.  Dur- 
ing cold  snaps  in  winter  the  droppings  often  freeze  to  the  boards  for 
several  days.  Watch  for  the  sudden  thaw  some  warm  noon,  and  remove 
the  waste  before  the  ammonia  begins  to  arise.  Store  all  droppings  out- 
side of  any  room  in  which  birds  are  kept. 

Stock  Weakened  by  Lice. 
Ii";sects  play  an  important  part  in  the  health  of  poultry.  Of  these 
the  ordinary  hen  louse  and  red  spider  are  most  common.  Chickens 
infested  with  lice,  whether  from  the  mother  hen  or  from  a  brooder,  are 
always  undersized,  rough  in  plumage  and  easily  fall  a  prey  to  disease. 
vHens  troubled  with  licte  are  uneasy,  restless,  grow  thin  and  do  not  prove 


12  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

good  layers.  The  sitting  hen,  afflicted  with  lice,  often  becomes  weak,  and' 
her  food  produces  looseness  of  the  bowels.  The  red  spider,  or  red  mite, 
as  it  is  often  called  from  its  size,  lives  in  cracks  of  the  house,  under  the 
roost  and  droppings  board,  or  multiplies  rapidly  in  dry  droppings,  and 
comes  out  at  night  to  suck  the  blood  of  birds.  When  birds  are  thus 
troubled  by  mites  the  loss  of  blood  produces  an  anaemic  state  conducive 
to  disease  as  well  as  to  poor  financial  results. 

Poultry  plants  infested  with  lice  or  mites  never  succeed  and  are  a 
hotbed  of  disease.  It  is  possible  to  have  sickness  where  there  are  no 
lice,  but  it  is  impossible  to  keep  birds  well  on  which  there  are  lice  in  any 
numbers.  It  is  the  first  duty  of  a  poultryman  to  be  sure  that  insects  have 
no  foothold  on  his  place.  Destroy  all  insects  and  see  that  none  are  intro- 
duced on  new  birds.  Never  be  too  sure  that  you  are  free  from  lice.  When 
you  least  expect  it.  some  friend  will  show  you  one  of  your  birds  loaded 
with  insect  life.  Keep  at  it,  from  one  end  of  the  year  to  the  other,  fight- 
ing lice,  and  it  will  be  time  well  spent.  If  you  relax  your  vigilance  for 
awhile  the  pests  may  get  in  such  work  as  to  upset  all  your  plans  for  a 

year. 

Sunshine. 

Sunshine  is  as  essential  to  the  health  of  poultry  as  it  is  to  the  health 
of  the  human  being,  and  to  keep  birds  in  a  location  so  poor  that  the  sun 
has  no  chance  to  send  its  needful  rays  streaming  toward  the  flock  is  to^ 
invite  disease  and  failure.  Sunshine  is  needed  to  dry  all  moisture, 
whether  arising  from  a  damp  soil  or  from  the  lungs  of  the  birds.  Plenty 
of  sunshine  and  fresh  air  are  cheaper  and  better  for  the  health's  sake 
than  carbolic  acid  or  sulphur.  The  less  sunlight  the  more  disease.  There 
is  always  trouble  ahead  for  the  man  or  bird  who  is  obliged  to  live  in 
shady  quarters.  To  keep  hens  in  a  house  with  light  only  from  the 
north,  or  in  cellars  with  low,  dusty  windows,  is  taking  risks  of  disease 
as  well  as  probabilities  of  egg  failure.  Birds  housed  under  such  condi- 
tions are  sure  to  become  weak,  pale  in  comb  and  wattles,  and  are  likely 
to  contract  catarrh,  bronchitis  or  roup.  Sunshine  may  also  be  a  source 
of  harm  if  sufficient  ventilation  is  not  furnished.  ^  A  house  facing  south, 
well  supplied  with  glass,  if  not  allowed  plenty  of  escape  for  the  hot  air, 
will  show  in  winter  a  temperature  of  80  to  100  degrees.  The  birds  suf- 
fer during  the  heat  of  noon  only  to  feel  more  keenly  the  other  extreme 
of  low  temperature  at  night.  The  scratching  shed  house  is  not  perfec- 
tion, but  it  does  furnish  an  escape  from  a  hot  pen  at  noon,  to  the  fresh 
air  out-of-doors.  The  days  of  the  all-glass  front  house  are  happily  of 
the  past,  but  even  now  I  am  occasionally  asked  by  some  one  if  it  is  not 
best  to  have  lots  of  windows  in  the  new  house.  The  old  idea  of  our 
childhood  clings  to  us,  but  we  know  from  experience  that  about  one  win- 
dow to  each  ten  feet  of  front  gives  the  best  results  from  both  the  health 
and  profit  point  of  view. 

Condiments  in  Excess  Are  Harmful. 

Condiments  are  an  interesting  subject  from  a  health  basis.  Many 
of  the  egg  foods  sold  in  past  years  have  helped  send  many  a  fiock  to  the 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  13 

market  because  of  non-paying  results.  Our  birds  need  a  little  spice  if 
shut  in  house  and  yard — just  enough  to  take  the  place  of  the  wild  berry 
or  racy  leaf,  that  are  within  reach  of  the  birds  at  liberty.  Some  of  the 
powders  offered  for  sale  will  throw  the  birds  Out  of  condition  if  fed 
according  to  directions.  There  is  danger  of  irritating  the  crop  and  giz- 
zard as  well  as  enlarging  the  liver.  Salt  the  mash  as  you  would  your 
own  food,  and  in  cold  weather  add  a  little  black  pepper.  You  can  buy 
nothing  better  and  will  get  good  results  if  other  things  are  right. 
Exposure  in  Shipping. 
Train  or  express  exposure  is  a  factor  in  disease.  The  sending  of 
birds  to  the  winter  shows  or  the  transportation  of  breeding  stock  is  not 
without  its  dangers.  I  have  seen  coops  standing  for  hours  in  a  brisk 
northwest  wind,  with  the  temperature  below  freezing,  and  then  put  into 
a  baggage  car  near  the  hot  steam  pipes.  The  reverse  often  occurs  and 
the  sudden  change  from  hot  to  cold  is  followed  by  some  catarrhal 
trouble.  Even  the  change  from  the  warm  show  room  to  the  cold  of  the 
outer  air  is  not  without  its  dangers.  There  is  something  wrong  about 
this  sending  of  birds  in  the  way  we  do,  else  why  is  it  that  some  of  our 
larger  exhibitors  never  have  anything  in  the  line  of  diphtheria  except  in 
birds  at  shows,  or  returning  therefrom?  To  avoid  disease  resulting  from 
transportation  of  birds  the  coops  should  be  roomy,  with  wind-proof 
sides,  and  in  cold  weather  a  coarse  burlap  top  cover  should  be  provided. 

Safeguards  Against  Poison. 

Irritant  poisons  have  caused  much  sickness  and  not  a  few  deaths.  The 
common  forms  of  poisons  as  found  on  farms  or  the  village  lot  are  paint 
in  some  form,  paris  green  or  potato  bug  poisons,  and  "rough  on  rats"  or 
vermin  killers.  There  is  great  carelessness  shown  in  the  way  in  which 
these  are  left  around.  Tins  containing  remains  of  former  paint  con- 
tents are  often  thrown  into  fence  corners  or  rubbish  dumps,  only  to  be- 
come receptacles  for  falling  rain,  and  these  cans  seem  to  possess  an 
attraction  for  the  wandering  hen.  Paris  green  is  an  every-day  article 
of  use  by  the  farmer  or  villager  and  seems  to  have  lost  its  first  impres- 
sion upon  the  mind  of  the  user  that  it  is  a  source  of  danger  to  all  animal 
life.  Paris  green,  and  all  similar  substances  ought  to  be  kept  out  of 
reach  of  our  birds.  Little  chicks  allowed  to  run  in  a  potato  field  soon 
after  it  has  been  sprayed  are  very  likely  to  get  harm  from  the  bright 
drops  of  liquid  that  hang  from  leaf  or  tip.  Pails  used  in  applying  the 
paris  green  need  to  be  carefully  guarded  at  all  times,  and  above  all,  not 
allowed  to  be  where  they  can  receive  any  rainfall.  Rat  Poison  is  usually 
given  on  bread,  a  food  that  always  appeals  to  a  hen's  appetite.  This 
should  be  surrounded  by  all  the  safeguards  possible  and  even  then  there 
is  danger  that  by  some  mischance  the  phosphorous  ingredients  of  the 
rat  poison  may  be  taken  into  the  bird's  digestive  system. 

Balancing  Grain  and  Vegetables. 
Green  vegetable  food  fed  in  too  large  quantities    or    withheld  alto- 
gether influences  the  condition  of  the  bird's  health.     An  over-use  of 


14  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

cabbage,  rye,  weeds  or  roots  is  likely  to  produce  diarrhea  and  weaken 
the  fowl's  general  system.  If  largely  fed  in  place  of  proper  food  the  bird 
loses  weight  and  becomes  sluggish.  To  refrain  from  the  use  of  green 
food  is  like  feeding  a  cow  on  grain  only  and  expecting  good  results.  Hens 
must  have  some  green  food  in  order  to  do  their  best  and  pay  good  divi- 
dends. Birds  so  confined  as  to  be  out  of  reach  of  any  green  food  become 
pale,  weak  and  anaemic.  We  see  this  condition  in  hens  kept  in  city 
barns  or  cellars  or  housed  and  yarded  in  a  manner  to  cut  off  access  to 
.grass.  There  is  no  better  all-round  green  food  than  cut  clover,  either 
.:green  or  dry  and  steamed.  If  not  allowed  a  grass  run  something  of  the 
igreen  food  ought  to  be  fed  for  both  health  and  profits.  Brooder  chicks 
will  be  less  likely  to  get  "off  their  legs"  if  given  a  little  lettuce  or  young 
oat  sprouts.  Even  the  waste  from  the  hay  mow  is  useful,  not  only  for 
the  exercise,  but  for  the  leaves  and  seeds  that  help  make  up  the  bulk. 

Exclusive  Grain  Diet. 

Grain  in  connection  with  diseases  of  poultry  is  worth  some  atten- 
tion. Many  cases  of  bowel  trouble  are  traceable  to  feeding  musty,  sour 
or  charred  grain.  Any  damaged  grain  is  recommended  as  "good  enough 
for  poultry"  by  the  ordinary  seller,  and  too  often  the  dealer's  statement 
is  accepted  as  good  advice.  A  short  time  ago  I  found  a  poultryman  feed- 
ing damaged  wheat  at  a  cost  of  one  dollar  per  hundred  pounds,  when  the 
best  white  wheat  was  worth  one  dollar  and  sixty  cents.  More  than  half 
the  damaged  wheat  was  without  food  value  while  at  the  same  time  the 
birds  were  exposed  to  dangers  of  spoiled  food.  One-half  the  quantity 
of  good  wheat  was  giving  better  results  than  the  damaged  grain  and  the 
birds  were  not  obliged  to  eat  and  dispose  of  a  lot  of  rubbish  in  order  to 
live.  To  avoid  disease,  feed  the  best  grain  you  can  get.  The  best  is 
none  too  good. 

The  feeding  of  an  exclusively  grain  diet  is  dangerous  from  a  health- 
ful point  of  view.  None  of  the  grains  contain  elements  rightly  balanced 
to  give  perfect  results.  Wheat  comes  the  nearest  to  perfection,  but  even 
this  grain  when  fed  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  food  is  followed  by 
■dumpish,  poor  laying  birds.  Any  or  all  of  the  grains  need  to  be  balanced 
with  something  of  the  animal  nature.  A  bird  depending  entirely  upon 
grain  for  food  will  eat  too  much  in  quantity  in  its  endeavers  to  obtain  a 
sufficient  amount  of  nitrogenous,  or  protein,  food.  Birds  having  a  farm 
run,  with  free  access  to  the  barn  mows,  will  get  animal  food  enough  for 
warm  weather  work,  but  will  need  a  supply  of  meat  meal  or  green  bone 
in  winter.  Birds  fed  on  a  meal  mash  in  the  morning  and  corn  at  night 
will  naturally  be  sluggish,  over-fat,  and  inclined  to  fall  a  prey  to  dis- 
ease. The  desire  for  healthy  and  profitable  poultry  ought  to  be  strong 
enough  in  the  mind  of  the  owner  to  lead  him  to  know  something  about 
balancing  rations.  There  is  much  food  for  thought  in  the  report  of 
some  of  our  state  experiment  stations.  Poultry  keepers  ought  to  have 
and  study  them.  Rhode  Island,  Massachusetts,  West  Virginia  and  Utah 
have  done  good  work  in  the  poultry  line  and  their  reports  are  to  be  had 
for  the  asking. 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  15 

Too  Little  and  Too  Much  Food. 

Cramming,  or  over-feeding,  when  persistently  followed  results  in 
indigestion  or  breakdown.  By  cramming  I  mean  the  giving  of  too  much 
food,  either  to  adult  birds  or  to  chicks.  In  these  days  of  yarded  stock 
there  is  more  danger  of  over-feeding,  than  in  the  times  of  farm  flocks 
at  liberty.  A  bird  left  free  to  wander  where  it  wishes  will  stand  a  better 
chance  of  keeping  well  than  the  one  that  is  dependent  on  the  owner  for 
every  particle  of  food.  The  only  time  it  is  best  to  cram  a  bird  with 
food  is  when  it  is  soon  to  be  used  for  the  table,  and  this  process  ought 
not  to  take  over  three  weeks.  A  longer  stuffing  process  is  likely  to  be 
followed  by  the  bird's  getting  off  its  feet  and  losing  all  it  has  gained. 
Many  a  lot  of  brooder  chicks  have  "passed  away"  because  the  owner 
thought  it  best  to  give  them  lots  of  food  often.  Chicks,  as  well  as  grown 
birds,  must  not  be  fed  so  as  to  remain  ,lazy,  but  should  be  cared  for  and 
fed  in  such  a  way  as  always  to  be  ready  to  work  for  the  next  meal.  There 
must  be  time  for  most  of  one  meal  to  digest  before  giving  the  next.  With 
the  exception  of  the  last  feed  of  the  day  no  meal  should  be  enough  ia 
quantity  to  cause  the  bird  to  retii'e  to  some  corner  and  "mope."  The 
active  chick  is  the  one  with  a  good  appetite  and  a  rapid  growth.  The 
sluggish,  over-fed  chick  is  always  a  source  of  worry  and  easily  passes 
into  a  sick  condition.  Over-feeding  with  meat,  cooked  or  raw,  is  not 
without  its  dangei's.  Excess  of  meat  is  liable  to  induce  diarrhea  or  tax 
the  kidneys  to  get  rid  of  the  extra  waste.  The  safe  plan  to  follow  in 
feeding  green  cut  bone  and  meat  is  to  find  how  much  the  birds  can  eat 
in  one  full  meal.  Then  give  at  various  times  during  the  seven  days  of 
the  week  a  total  amount  equal  to  twice  that  of  the  single  meal.  If  fed 
in  this  way,  very  little  ground  meat  will  be  needed  in  the  morning  mash. 

Too  little  food  is  a  cause  of  anaemic  conditions  and  a  source  of 
trouble  occasionally  met  with.  The  common  poultry  keeper  does  not 
often  err  in  this  direction,  but  rather  leans  toward  heavy  feeding.  Giv- 
ing too  little  food  or  starving  the  birds  is  not  pleasant  to  think  of,  but 
we  may  well  be  watchful  that  in  our  system  of  feeding  we  do  not  starve 
the  birds  along  the  line  of  some  needed  element.  Combine  or  balance 
your  ration  in  jiuch  a  way  that  the  bird  gets  just  what  is  needed  for  profit 
as  well  as  to  sustain  life. 

Diphtheria. 

Diphtheria  is  a  disease  of  the  cold  months  rather  than  of  warm 
months.  While  not  so  contagious  as  cholera,  it  is  easily  passed  from 
bird  to  bird,  either  directly  or  by  means  of  the  drinking  water  or  feed 
troughs.  Diphtheria  is  fatal  enough  to  be  dreaded  by  any  poultry 
keeper,  and  even  though  the  birds  pull  through  they  are  never  equal  to 
birds  that  have  not  had  the  disease,  even  for  layers,  to  say  nothing  of 
their  doubtful  value  as  breeding  stock.  Diphtheria  leaves  its  mark  on 
the  constitution  of  any  bird  that  has  the  disease.  Diphtheria  may  be 
taken  from  sick  birds  at  the  shows,  or  it  may  be  introduced  through  new 
birds.  It  always  pays  to  have  some  system  of  quarantine  even  though 
you  keep  but  a  few  birds.  This  is  some  trouble,  to  be  sure,  but  it  is  a 
safeguard  worth  its  cost  to  any  earnest  poultryman. 


16  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

Many  of  the  severe  epidemics  have  been  in  connection  with  filthy  or 
damp  houses  or  yards.  As  we  talie  up  the  various  diseases,  readers  will 
be  surprised  to  learn  the  part  that  filth  takes  as  a  factor  in  disease.  A 
clean  kept  poultry  plant  seldom  has  diseased  birds,  unless  introduced 
from  without.  Diphtheria  manifests  itself  early  by  a  sleepy  appearance 
of  the  bird,  a  slight  discharge  from  the  nostrils,  and  a  stiff  neck.  The 
plumage  is  rough,  not  sleek.  After  twenty-four  to  forty-eight  hours 
the  catarrhal  condition  of  the  nostrils  becomes  more  prominent,  and  the 
sides  of  the  mouth  are  sticky  with  a  fluid  that  comes  from  within. 
Opening  the  mouth  you  will  see  that  the  sides  and  back  are  also  sticky 
with  the  same  fluid  that  you  observed  on  the  outside.  Even  as  early  as 
the  second  day  you  are  likely  to  find  the  throat  a  bright  red  in  color, 
except  where  covered  with  the  characteristic  leaden  membrane.  In  true 
diphtheria  this  membrane  is  always  firmly  attached  to  the  mucous  sur- 
face, so  closely  in  fact  that  its  removal  is  always  followed  by  bleeding. 
If  at  any  time  you  find  on  the  throat  or  mouth  a  membranes  that  can  be 
detached  without  being  followed  by  bleeding  you  may  doubt  the  pres- 
ence of  diphtheria.  The  tendency  of  the  membrane  in  diphtheria  is  to 
spread  over  the  entire  surface  of  the  throat  that  is  in  view,  if  indeed  it 
does  not  run  up  into  the  nostrils  and  down  into  the  windpipe. 

This  disease  is  likely  to  prove  fatal  in  severe  attacks  within  four 

"days  of  the  time  attention  is  attracted  to  the  sick  bird,  and  in  the  mild 
form  to  run  a  course  of  from  ten  to  fifteen  days.  In  cured  cases,  even 
after  the  birds  are  out  of  danger,  there  may  be  some  weakness  of  legs 
or  wings  that  lasts  for  weeks  or  months.  The  ordinary  hen  house  is 
not  the  ideal  place  to  doctor  diphtheria.  The  bird  needs  a  moderately 
warm  room  where  a  stove  can  have  water  boiling  on  it  most  of  the  time. 
During  the  warm  months  of  the  year  any  dry,  sunny  box  of  a  house  will 
do,  but  diphtheria  is  a  rare  disease  except  in  the  cold  season.  For  both 
local  and  internal  treatment  there  is  nothing  better  than  calcium  sul- 
phide. This  must  be  fresh  and  very  strong-smelling  to  give  good 
results.  One  grain  mixed  with  a  little  hot  mash  and  fed  so  you  know 
the  bird  gets  it,  three  times  a  day,  will  do  for  internal  treatment.  A 
little  of  the  dry  powdered  calcium  sulphide  dropped  into  a  piece  of  paper 

'::  folded  into  a  V  shape  and  blown  into  the  open  mouth  will  modify  the 

"bourse  of  the  local  manifestation  of  the  disease. 

Something  depends  upon  the  feeding  in  this  trouble,  just  how  much 
it  is  hard  to  say.  In  severe  cases  the  bird  is  unable  to  digest  food 
even  through  it  be  got  into  the  crop  and  gizzard.  In  a  case  where  the 
general  symptoms  are  much  lighter  than  you  would  expect  from  the 
appearance  of  the  throat,  it  is  well  to  give  highly  nutritious  foods,  such 
as  raw  or  dropped  eggs,  beef  juice  and  milk.  For  a  tonic  to  "pick  up" 
the  convalescing  birds,  arsenate  of  iron  in  1-50  grain  doses,  given  in 
mash  three  times  a  day,  will  do  good  work. 

Canker. 

Whether  this  is  a  disease  of  itself  or  a  mild  form  of  diphtheria  is 
not  definitely  known,  but  it  is  always  well  to  consider  it    of    danger 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  17 

enough  to  give  it  prompt  and  care  attention.  While  all  birds  are  at 
times  attacked  by  canker,  the  Games  are  quite  subject  to  it.  Canker 
is  as  often  seen  in  the  show  room  as  in  the  home  pen.  What  there  is 
about  the  exposure  of  the  express  travel  and  show  room  to  cause  this 
trouble  is  not  known,  but  it  is  a  risk  that  must  be  taken  if  we  are  to 
exhibit  our  birds.  Your  attention  is  called  to  this  disease  by  observing 
that  the  bird  has  some  trouble  in  swallowing  food  or  water.  Its  neck 
seems  to  be  stiff.  Even  when  standing  and  doing  nothing  else  it  has 
the  appearance  of  swallowing,  as  though  it  were  trying  to  get  down  some 
substance  in  its  throat. 

The  usual  treatment  of  canker  for  years  has  been  to  blow  powdered 
chlorate  of  potash  into  the  throat  upon  the  inflamed  surfaces.  The  latest 
and  it  seems  to  me  the  best  remedy,  is  the  use  of  calcium  sulphide,  as 
in  diphtheria.  AH  cases  of  canker  or  diphtheria  should  be  sent  to  the 
hospital,  whether  that  be  a  dry  goods  box  or  an  isolated  room.  You  can 
handle  the  sick  birds  better  in  this  way  and  at  the  same  time  lessen  the 
danger  of  the  flock  at  large.  The  previous  condition  of  the  bird  has  no 
bearing  on  the  contracting  of  diphtheria  or  canker.  If  these  diseases 
have  any  preference  it  is  for  vigorous  birds  rather  than  weak  stock. 

Catarrh.  .  / 

In  considering  catarrh  it  is  well  at  the  very  beginning  to  make 
prominent  the  fact  that  catarrh  is  not  roup.  Catarrh  is  a  simple  inflam- 
mation of  the  mucous  surfaces,  and  the  special  term  is  only  applied  to 
the  air  passages  above  the  windpipe.  Unless  filth  enters  into  the  cause 
of  the  sickness  catarrh  never  passes  into  roup.  A  bird  sick  with  catarrh 
is  likely  to  contract  roup  if  the  proper  exposure  be  given-.  Catarrh  and 
roup  cannot  be  distinguished  apart  in  the  first  stages,  but  should  receive 
prompt  treatment  even  before  the  disease  can  be  named. 

In  catarrh  the  bird  is  not  sick  to  any  extent.  The  inflammation  of 
the  nostrils  does  not  upset  the  digestion,  and  unless  added  to  by  im- 
proper treatment  or  lack  of  good  care,  the  bird  does  not  lose  weight. 
Catarrh  is  caused  by  long  exposure  to  cold  winds,  roosting  in  a  coop  so 
that  a  steady  draft  of  air  blows  through  a  chink  onto  the  .bird,  and  from 
contagion  from  other  cases. 

Catarrh  in  quite  young  chicks  is  very  common  from  the  effects  of 
a  chill,  either  from  low  temperature  or  as  the  result  of  crowding  and 
sweating  in  a  coid  brooder.  Many  brooders  do  not  have  warm  floors  so 
as  to  make  comfortable  the  chick  at  rest.  A  chick  in  motion  requires 
no  warm  surface  under  him,  but  when  he  settles  down  on  the  floor  of 
the  hovei'  to  sleep  he  does  not  want  a  cool  layer  of  sand  or  wood  to  steal 
heat  from  him  during  the  night.  Chicks  sometimes  contract  catarrh 
by  being  deserted  by  the  mother  hen  before  feathering  is  far  along. 

Late  in  the  fall  of  the  year  nearly  matured  birds  are  attacked  by 
this  trouble  while  in  the  roosting  coops  or  houses.  This  may  be  due 
to  the  opening  of  cracks  in  the  boards  or  the  blowing  off  of  a  shingle  or 
part  of  the  paper  covering  of  the  roof.  Coops  that  have  been  all  right 
^ntil  this  time  give  out  as  the  result  of  the  wet  winds  of  November. 


18  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

The  first  symptoms  of  catarrh  you  will  notice  v/ill  be  a  "bubbling'^ 
at  the  nose,  on  one  side  surely,  probably  on  both.  There  may  also  be 
watery  eye,  perhaps  diarrhea.  Dust,  chaff  or  pieces  of  leaves  stick  to 
the  discharge  from  the  nostrils,  calling  attention  to  the  sickness.  The 
discharge  passes  through  the  various  stages  of  a  common  cold — ^at  first 
thin  and  scanty,  then  abundant,  finally  thick  and  inclined  to  dry  on 
outer  surface. 

A  case  of  catarrh,  well  cared  for,  will  get  well  without  medical  treat- 
ment. If  catarrh  could  be  told  from  roup  in  the  early  stages,  I  should 
advise  no  drugs  for  this  sickness,  but  so  long  as  we  do  not  know  surely 
what  we  have  to  contend-  with,  some  local  treatment  should  be  given. 
Add  thirty  grains  of  sulphate  of  quinine  to  one  ounce  of  hot  water.  This 
is  to  be  applied  twice  a  day  by  an  atomizer  to  all  inflamed  surfaces,  first 
cleansing  the  parts  with  warm  water.  The  sick  birds  should  be  kept  in 
a  dry,  sunny,  roomy  place,  away  from  all  well  birds. 

Diarrhea. 

Simple  diarrhea,  like  simple  catarrh,  is  caused  by  sudden  chills  or 
even  lack  of  heat,  especially  in  young  chicks.  Sometimes  when  you  are 
having  an  epidemic  of  "colds"  (catarrh)  you  will  find  some  of  the  birds 
showing  signs  of  looseness  of  the  bowels.  Why  it  is  that  similar  causes 
produce  diarrhea  in  warm  weather  and  catarrh  in  cold  months  is  too 
long  a  story  to  tell,  but  it  is  a  fact  we  well  know.  A  prolonged  chill 
will  be  followed  in  summer  by  diarrhea  and  a  few  cases  of  catarrh,  and 
in  winter  by  many  cases  of  catarrh  and  a  few  cases  of  diarrhea. 

Diarrhea  in  chicks  is  a  fatal  disease  too  often  met.  It  is  the  bane 
of  the  usual  way  of  raising  a  few  chicks  with  hens.  The  hen,  tired  of 
her  inactive  life  in  incubating  eggs,  wants  to  roam  more  than  is  good  for 
the  chicks;  and  from  lack  of  mothering,  the  chicks  become  chilled  over 
and  over  again.  This  induces  a  looseness  of  the  bowels  that  soon 
removes  the  chick  from  the  flock.  Brooder  chicks  also  suffer  from 
diarrhea,  and  this  is  also  caused  by  too  little  heat.  Too  many  brooders 
do  not  plan  for  any  bottom  heat  and  there  are  those  that  cannot  be  relied 
on  to  keep  up  the  heat  during  the  latter  part  of  the  night.  If  the  brooders 
were  as  good  as  the  incubators,  we  would  hear  of  fewer  persons  going 
out  of  the  poultry  business,  and  would  see  less  empty  hen  houses.  There 
are  more  good  incubators  than  good  brooders.  To  avoid  diarrhea  in 
brooder  chicks  have  heat  enough  to  keep  the  chicks  scattered  out  on  the 
floor  of  the  "mother"  near  the  fringe  of  the  hover.  No  matter  what  the 
thermometer  says,  keep  the  chicks  contented.  Depend  on  what  the 
chicks  seem  to  think  of  it  rather  than  on  any  set  degree  of  heat. 

Diarrhea  in  chicks  or  adult  birds  may  also  be  caused  by  too  coarse 
or  rough  food.  The  absence  of  grinding  material  (grit)  will  produce 
diarrhea.  The  over-feeding  of  green  bone  or  meat  may  be  followed  by 
looseness  of  the  bowels.  Irregular  feeding — much  to-day,  little  to-mor- 
row— has  a  tendency  to  upset  the  bowels.  Birds  running  wild  on  the 
farm  seldom  have  bowel  trouble.  It  is  the  yarded  fowl,  depending  on 
man  for  every  particle  of  food,  that  has  diarrhea  from  improper  feeding. 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  19 

Filthy  drinking  water  is  the  starting  point  of  many  so-called  "cholera" 
outbreaks.  This  is  diarrhea,  too  common  to  be  ignored,  and  is  well 
worth  remembering  in  looking  for  causes  of  bowel  trouble.  Filth  in  any 
form,  especially  in  the  water  a  hen.  must  drink,  is  a  cause  of  disease 
against  which  one  should  constantly  guard.  Filth  in  some  form  or  other 
is  behind  nine-tenths  of  all  sickness  in  the  poultry  plant. 

Diarrhea  from  too  coarse  food  needs  to  be  treated  by  giving  less 
bran  and  more  of  the  flour  ingredients  of  wheat.  Leave  out  scratchy 
things  and  thoroughly  cook  the  mash,  and  feed  lightly  of  green  foods, 
such  as  turnips  and  cabbage.  If  the  birds  can  be  given  a  free  run  of 
the  place  and  a  little  food,  they  will  be  likely  to  do  well  in  looking  out 
for  themselves.  All  these  cases  do  well  if  given  an  astringent  drink, 
such  as  one  teaspoonful  of  tincture  iron  to  one  quart  of  water.  A  severe 
case  of  diarrhea  from  over-feeding  often  improves  at  once  after  receiv- 
ing a  dose  of  castor  oil.  Castor  oil  may  be  poured  from  a  spoon  into  the 
mouth  of  the  fowl,  the  beak  closed  and  the  bird's  head  held  upright  till 
it  swallows.  The  dose  does  not  matter  so  long  as  you  give  enough.  An 
overdose  will  pass  through  with  the  discharge  and  that  will  be  the  end 
of    it. 

There  is  a  form  of  diarrhea  known  as  "enteritis"  that  we  shall  take 
up  later.  This  has  the  same  relation  to  diarrhea  that  roup  does  to 
catarrh.  Catarrh  and  diarrhea  are  mild  in  their  course,  while  enteritis 
and  roup  are  violent,  hence  more  fatal.  ■ 

Roup. 

Roup  is  an  infectious  disease  (purulent  catarrhal  in  form)  of  the 
air  passages.  It  is  met  at  any  time  of  the  year,  especially  in  wet  sea- 
sons, most  commonly  in  the  late  fall  weeks.  Cold  breezy  quarters, 
drafts  of  cold  air  from  broken  windows  or  chinks  in  walls,  a  house  that 
is  hot  at  noon  and  very  cold  at  night,  bad  food,  dirty  drinking  water, 
any  or  all  of  these  when  combined  with  filth  tend  toward  the  production 
of  roup.  Roup  is  often  introduced  into  a  flock  through  birds  brought 
from  outside,  through  lack  of  thought  in  quarantining  them  when  arriv- 
ing. Birds  out  of  condition  from  any  cause  easily  contract  roup  when 
exposed  to  the  disease.  Sluggish  birds  from  improper  or  over-feeding 
seem  to  be  fit  subjects  for  catarrhal  diseases.  Persistent  inbreeding 
weakens  Adtality  and  increases  the  susceptibility  to  disease,  especially 
to  roup. 

Let  me  impress  upon  you  now,  and  I  shall  have  occasion  to  do  it 
more  than  once,  the  great  factor  in  the  causation  of  disease  is  filth.  You 
may  labor  under  many  difficulties  with  birds  or  food  or  houses,  yet  if 
you  avoid  filth  you  will  have  few  visits  from  serious  sicknesses.  It  is 
the  long  uncleaned,  damp  house  that  is  the  scene  of  disease.  The  loaded 
droppings  boards  are  good  breeding  ground  in  winter  for  roup  and 
cholera  as  well  as  fine  summer  homes  for  red  mites.  Without  filth,  or 
an  introduced  ease,  roup  does  not  appear.  Once  introduced  into  a  house 
it  is  rather  hard  to  stamp  out.  The  infectious  matter  from  the  discharge 
of  the  mucous  surfaces  seems  to  retain  its  life  for  months,  even  when 


20  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

it  is  dry  and  dusty.  Water  dishes,  unless  baked  or  boiled  retain  the 
disease  spreading  material  for  a  long  time.  The  earth  floor  holds  for 
some  time  the  germs  from  the  diseased  birds. 

Outbreaks  of  roup  vary  in  severity.  Sometimes  you  hear  of  a  flock 
sick  with  undoubted  roup  where  every  bird  recovers  without  any  treat- 
ment. Then  you  may  next  hear  of  a  yard  where  every  one  died  in  spite 
of  the  most  active  treatment.  The  disease  when  once  introduced  seems 
to  run  a  more  rapid  and  vigorous  course  in  sturdy  stock.  Every  new 
bird,  and  all  birds  returning  from  the  shows,  should  be  kept  from  the 
home  birds  for  at  least  seven  days,  to  give  disease  time  to  manifest 
itself.  It  is  always  well  to  look  under  the  wings  of  all  new  birds  to  see 
if  there  is  any  dried  mucus  on  the  feathers,  left  there  from  the  bird's 
putting  its  head  under  its  wing  at  night.  Birds  that  have  been  quite 
sick  with  roup,  no  matter  how  well  they  may  seem  to  have  become, 
should  not  be  bred  from  if  you  wish  to  keep  strong  stock.  Roup  seems 
to  leave  its  mark  on  every  victim,  though  many  times  it  is  not  seen  till 
the  next  generation.  Whatever  you  may  do  for  yourself,  never  sell  eggs 
or  birds  that  may  give  weak  stock  to  your  neighbor.  It  may  upset  many 
cherished  plans  and  spoil  the  work  of  years.  One  of  the  experiment 
stations  reports:  "A  lot  of  cockerels,  bought  of  — ,  of  New  York  state, 
had  the  foulest  kind  of  roup  when  received.  Part  were  killed,  and  the 
others  cured  after  a  long  course  of  treatment,  but  they  were  continually 
getting  out  of  condition,  and  the  mortality  among  their  chickens  was 
large." 

The  symptoms  in  the  beginning  of  roup  are  those  of  simple  catarrh 
and  for  a  few  days  these  diseases  cannot  be  told  one  from  the  other. 
For  a  day  or  two  there  is  a  slight  discharge  from  the  nostrils,  with  eyes 
wet  from  mucus  and  often  some  bubbling  at  the  inner  corners;  then  the 
discharge  thickens,  gets  darker  in  color,  and  even  entirely  obstructs 
breathing  through  the  nose.  An  average  case  of  roup  shows  marked 
debility  within  flve  days  from  the  outset.  Most  cases  of  roup  develop 
rapidly  from  the  start  and  if  confined  to  close  quarters  the  odor  arising 
from  the  inflamed  parts  becomes  marked  and  disagi'eeable.  There  is  no 
odor  in  catarrh;  nearly  always  in  roup.  Some  outbreaks  of  roup  are 
peculiar  because  of  the  marked  tendency  toward  swelled  heads  and 
ulcerated  mouths.  These  "big  heads"  mark  a  severe  type  of  the  dis- 
ease; a  form  likely  to  prove  fatal.  A  roupy  bird  is  inclined  to  sleep 
with  its  head  under  its  wing,  which  allows  the  mucus  to  stick  to  and 
dry  on  the  feathers. 

Remember  that  when  buying  birds,  and  you  may  avoid  introducing 
half -cured  'birds  to  healthy  stock.  You  will  find  the  dried  mucus  dark- 
ened with  dust  on  the  under  side  of  one  or  both  of  the  wings.  Your  bird 
sick  with  a  common  cold,  let  alone,  will  continue  along  the  same  course 
for  several  weeks.  With  roup  you  may  expect  a  daily  increase  in  the 
severity  of  the  symptoms.  A  catarrh  tends  toward  recovery  if  given  any 
reasonable  opportunity,  while  roup  needs  the  best  of  care  to  have  the 
bird  become  as  well  as  before  the  beginning  of  the  sickness.  Many  cases 
are  marked  for  a  fatal  end  from  the  commencement  of  the  sickness,  es- 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  2L 

pecially  those  where  we  see  very  large  heads  and  a  strong  smelling  dis- 
charge combined.  These  cases  rarely  live  over  six  days  and  furnish 
good  "seed"  for  future  outbreaks. 

Treatment  of  Soup. 

The  treatment  of  roup  varies  according  to  the  severity  of  the  attack 
and  the  stage  of  the  disease.  That  it  is  a  fatal  and  dreaded  disease  we 
know  from  the  many  "sure  cures"  offered  to  us  through  advertising  col- 
umns of  the  poultry  press.  It  is  an  indication  of  severe  trouble  when 
you  find  as  many  remedies  offered  as  you  meet  poultrymen.  The  earlier 
roup  is  recognized  the  greater  satisfaction  there  is  in  treating  it 
Like  a  fire,  roup  responds  to  medicine  if  taken  in  the  beginning,  but  if 
neglected — "buckets"  of  drugs  have  no  effect.  At  the  commencement 
of  this  disease  local  medication  is  likely  to  give  better  results  than 
internal  administration  of  remedies.  Both  are  needed,  however,  to  give 
best  results.  In  the  treatment  of  roup,  as  in  the  handling  of  all  diseases 
of  the  air  passages,  the  most  satisfactory  way  to  get  the  medicines  where 
they  will  do  the  most  good  is  through  the  use  of  an  atomizer.  It  will 
be  good  practice  to  buy  one  costing  from  fifty  cents  to  one  dollar.  The 
cheap  ones  are  constantly  getting  out  of  order  and  when  you  need  to 
use  one  it  ought  to  be  ready  for  service. 

When  you  find  a  bird  sneezing,  or  notice  a  slight  discharge  from  the 
nostrils,  spray  all  mucous  surfaces  you  can  reach  with  the  following 
solution:  Extract  witch  hazel  four  tablespoonfuls,  liquid  carbolic  acid 
three  drops,  water  two  tablespoonfuls.  Do  this  twice  a  day,  squeezing 
the  bulb  five  times  for  each  nostril  and  twice  for  the  mouth.  If  there  is 
any  watery  eye  give  one  squeeze  for  each.  The  sick  birds  should  be  kept 
fom  the  others  to  avoid  spreading  the  disease.  After  removing  the  sick 
birds,  give  the  drinking  and  feed  dishes  a  careful  washing  in  as  hot 
water  as  can  be  used,  cleaning  the  pens  as  thoroughly  as  possible.  If 
the  dishes  are  of  iron  or  tin  a  baking  in  the  stove  oven  will  destroy  all 
germs.  If  the  disease  has  progressed  to  the  stage  of  swelled-head  and 
thick  discharge,  and  the  bird  has  a  sluggish  walk,  add  one  part  "Piatt's 
Chlorides"  to  five  or  rain  water,  and  bathe  head  thoroughly  with  the 
solution,  seeing  that  some  of  it  gets  into  the  nostrils  and  throat.  Some  of 
the  cases  of  five  years  ago  used  to  get  well  under  what  was  called  the 
"coal  oil  treatment."  This  consisted  in  pouring  on  the  surface  of  a  pail 
of  water  about  a  gill  of  kerosene  oil,  which  fioated  on  the  surface;  the 
swelled  head  birds  were  taken  one  by  one  and  slowly  dipped,  so  the 
heads  were  under  the  surface,  and  held  while  "one — ^^two — ^three"  was 
slowly  repeated,  and  then  raised,  the  necks  and  heads  being  wiped.  I 
remember  seeing  twenty  cockerels,  so  sick  that  the  discharge  was  thick 
and  exceedingly  bad  smelling,  receive  this  treatment  twice  a  day  for  two 
days,  being  obliged  to  take  all  drink  from  dishes  that  had  a  film  of  the 
oil  always  fioating  on  the  top,  and  come  up  out  of  the  severe  stage, 
improving  from  day  to  day,  finally  being  sold  to  the  butcher  in  nice  con- 
dition. 

A  friend  of  mine  who  has  been  a  breeder  of  poultry  for  twenty  years 


22  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

insists  that  the  oil  treatment  is  the  surest  of  any  yet  tried  by  him,  and 
he  has  bought  and  used  many  of  those  advertised  in  the  years  before  he 
began  to  use  kerosene.  He  says  he  never  was  satisfied  till  he  depended 
on  the  oil.  This  friend  has  never  used  what  I  am  now  sure  is  the  com- 
ing remedy,  and  that  is  peroxide  of  hydrogen.  This  is  "death  to  germs." 
It  is  a  liquid  coming  in  strong  bottles,  tightly  corked,  and  needs  to  be 
diluted  Avith  from  three  to  six  parts  of  water.  There  is  a  good  prepara- 
tion of  this  known  as  "Hydrozone,"  that  is  often  to  be  found  at  drug 
stores,  that  should  be  diluted  with  from  five  to  eight  parts  of  water. 
This  solution  applied  to  the  diseased  surfaces  at  once  begins  to  foam, 
and  should  be  repeated  until  there  is  no  more  bubbling.  A  little  of  the 
solution  forced  into  the  nostrils  by  the  use  of  a  dropping  tube  from  the 
force  of  the  foaming  is  driven  higher  up  into  the  nostrils,  reaching  parts 
otherwise  out  of  touch.  The  worse  the  case  the  stronger  should  be  the 
solution,  and  the  longer  it  must  be  used.  The  diet  in  roup  should  be 
simple.  Green  food,  if  possible,  should  be  within  reach,  and  all  mashes 
should  have  at  least  one-third  clover.  The  place  of  detention  should  be 
dry  and  sunny.     Drinking  water  should  be  changed  twice  a  day. 

Mr.  A.  F.  Hunter,  in  his  articles  on  poultry,  advises  the  following: 
"A  tablespoonful  of  clear  lard,  half  a  tablespoonful  each  of  vinegar,  cay- 
enne pepper  and  mustard;  mix  well  together,  add  flour  till  the  whole 
has  the  consistency  of  dough,  roll  into  slugs  about  the  size  of  the  top 
joint  of  the  little  finger,  and  put  one  down  the  patient's  throat.  The 
dose  can  be  repeated  in  twelve  or  twenty-four  hours,  as  the  case  seems 
to  need  it,  but  one  slug  frequently  cures  if  taken  in  time.  For  swelled 
head  we  bathe  with  a  glycerine-turpentine  lotion  made  of  one  part  spir- 
its of  turpentine  to  six  parts  of  glycerine;  and  for  sneezing,  cold  and 
swelled  head  combined,  use  both  remedies;  if  the  patient  does  not  snow 
signs  of  improvement  within  three  days  after  beginning  treatment,  take 
off  its  head  and  burn  or  bury  it."  When  a  case  of  roup  is  referred  to 
me  to-day  for  the  best  treatment  I  write  or  say  according  to  the  needs  of 
the  occasion,  "Use  'Hydrozone'  one  part,  water  two  parts,  in  an  atomizer, 
spraying  thoroughly  all  diseased  surfaces,  twice  a  day."  Roup  has  been 
rare  in  the  east  the  past  winter,  many  of  the  so-called  cases  being  sim- 
ple catarrh.  If  you  will  practice  some  form  of  quarantine,  and  keep 
everything  free  from  filth,  roup  is  not  likely  to  appear  in  your  yards. 
Once  it  gets  a  start  in  your  flock,  your  peace  of  mind  is  likely  to  be  ruf- 
fled for  months.     Be  watchful,  careful,  in  fact,  be  a  true  poultryman. 

Pip. 

This  is  presented  here  under  this  heading,  not  because  it  is  a  disease, 
as  it  is  not,  but  because  so  many  books  give  it  a  place  of  its  own.  Pip, 
so-called,  is  simply  a  dry  condition  of  the  tongue  appearing  in  several 
diseases  of  the  air  passages,  such  as  roup,  catarrh,  bronchitis  and  pneu- 
monia. It  is  a  symptom  of  disease,  not  a  disease  of  itself.  Pip,  or  the 
dry  state  of  the  tongue,  is  produced  by  the  rapid  passing  over  the  tongue 
of  feverish  breath  combined  with  increased  temperature  of  the  body. 
The  natural  moisture  is  removed  and  secretion  diminished.     The  tip  of 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  23 

the  tongue  being  thin,  shows  the  change  plainly,  becoming  hard  and  dry. 

Let  alone  the  dry  covering  or  hard  membrane;  to  try  to  remove  it  is  to 

inflame  the  tongue  and  accomplish  no  good  result.     Study  the  whole 

bird,  finding  out  the  trouble  underlying  this  one  symptom,  treating  the 

real  disease.     If  you  must  do  something  for  the  tongue,  paint  it  twice  a 

day  with  glycerine. 

Scaly-Legs. 

Scaly-leg  and  fish-skin  diseases  resemble  each  other,  but  are  totally 
different  in  causation.  The  first  is  the  result  of  the  irritation  of  a  para- 
site, the  second  a  constitutional  defect.  Scaly-leg  is  decidedly  contag- 
ious, while  fish-skin  disease  is  perfectly  non-communicable.  Scaly-leg 
does  not  appear  without  the  irritation  due  to  a  parasitic  insect.  This 
parasite  comes  from  another  bird  ,or  possibly  from  an  infested  house 
or  brooder,  and  works  its  way  in  between  the  scales  of  shanks  or  toes. 
As  a  result  of  its  life  work  on  the  bird  the  scales  are  irritated,  pushed 
apart,  and  dirt  begins  to  accumulate  in  the  cracks  of  the  parts.  The 
irritation  of  the  filth,  added  to  that  of  the  parasite,  produces  a  disgust- 
ing appearance  of  the  legs.  Scaly-leg  introduced  into  a  flock  well  cared 
for  does  not  do  as  much  mischief  as  when  it  appears  in  a  lot  of  birds 
kept  in  dirty  houses.  Scaly-leg  passes  from  diseased  to  well  birds  on 
the  roost,  or  is  contracted  by  chicks  when  with  the  "mother  hen."  A 
single  case  of  scaly-legs  on  the  plant  is  a  source  of  danger  to  every  otner 
bird. 

It  is  so  easy  to  cure  this  trouble  that  it  is  foolish  to  set  a  single  hen 
with  scaly-legs.  To  allow  a  case  to  continue  to  exist  when  once  it  has 
attracted  your  attention  is  to  let  it  be  known  you  are  a  careless  poultry- 
man.  I  am  willing  to  acknowledge  that  the  disease  has  little  effect  on 
egg  production,  but  must  say  that  such  breeding  stock  does  not  attract 
the  eye  of  the  buyer  of  birds  or  eggs  for  fancy  or  practical  purposes. 
Now  and  then  we  may  buy  a  bird  afflicted  with  scaly  legs  but  it  is  only 
because  it  is  an  extra  gooid  bird  in  ether  respects  and  we  know  we  can 
get  rid  of  the  parasites  before  it  is  put  with  our  other  birds.  I  went  to 
quite  a  little  trouble  last  fall  to  get  a  pullet  for  fresh  blood  from  a  noted 
strain.  I  had  hard  work  to  find  a  bird  in  the  lot  of  fifty  pullets  that  was 
free  from  scaly-legs,  and  finally  took  one  that  was  infected,  knowing 
that  two  applications  of  Lambert's  Ointment  would  cure  the  case.  The 
owner  of  the  pullets  knew  he  ought  to  have  cured  the  cases  long  before, 
but  had  never  got  around  to  it.  The  pullets  had  contracted  the  trouble 
from  the  mother  hens  and  I  found  several  birds  among  the  year-old 
breeders  that  were  anything  but  a  pleasure  to  see. 

If  a  little  of  the  scurvy  looking  material  is  scraped  off  and  examined 
under  a  magnifying  glass,  a  few  trials  will  surely  show  the  little  para- 
site. Knowing  what  you  have  to  handle,  do  not  put  off  treatment,  but 
clean  up  the  disease  at  once.  Scaly-leg  is  so  easy  to  cure  that  n^o  intel- 
ligent poultryman  is  excusable  for  its  presence  on  his  place  for  over  a 
week.  Every  bird  bought  ought  to  be  examined  for  scaly-legs  and  any 
doubtful  one  receive  immediate  treatment.  If  you  at  any  time  find  sev- 
eral cases  on  hand  I  would  advise  the  applying  of  the  proper  treatment 


24  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

to  every  bird  on  the  place.  Tbis  is  not  much  trouble  and  prevents  the 
cropping  out  of  new  cases  in  a  short  time. 

A  good  ointment  to  kill  the  parasite  is  made  of  one  ounce  of  sulphur 
and  ten  tablespoonfuls  of  lard  or  vaseline.  Rub  this  into  the  rough 
parts  of  the  shanks  and  toes  every  other  night  for  a  week,  and  give  one 
more  application  about  three  weeks  from  the  first  treatment. 

Another  good  method  of  proceeding  is  to  fill  a  common  wooden  pail 
nearly  full  with  water,  adding  one  gill  of  kerosene  oil  carefully  so  it  will 
float  on  the  surface.  Then  take  each  bird  and  dip  both  the  legs  down 
through  the  oil  into  the  water,  holding  for  half  a  minute  and  then 
slowly  withdraw.  Do  not  get  the  oil  on  the  feathered  parts  and  wipe 
off  the  surface  oil  on  the  scaly  parts.  Repeat  the  treatment  in  four  or 
five  days.  If  the  birds  have  feathered  shanks  be  very  particular  in  dry- 
ing the  feathers,  as  they  will  hold  the  oil  and  cause  the  bird  much  dis- 
comfort by  irritating  the  legs.  If  the  shanks  are  allowed  to  soak  in 
pure  kerosene  you  are  likely  to  have  swelling  and  inflammation  of  the 
parts.  Avoid  the  danger  of  scaly-legs  by  keeping  the  birds  from  sources 
of  contagion  and  especially  be  diligent  in  having  all  houses  clear  of  filth. 

Fish- Skin  Disease. 

This  resembles  "scaly-legs"  in  as  much  as  it  presents  a  dry,  rough 
appearance  of  the  covering  of  shanks  and  toes,  with  more  or  less  dirt 
worked  into  the  spaces  between  the  scales.  There  is  no  insect  life  at 
work  in  this  trouble,  but  it  is  due  to  some  disturbance  of  functional 
action  of  the  bird.  It  is  not  passed  from  bird  to  bird,  but  it  does  seem 
to  be  inclined  to  appear  in  certain  strains  of  birds,  as  if  heredity  played 
a  part  in  its  coming.  The  skin  of  shanks  or  toes  seems  to  be  lacking  in 
oil  and  presents  a  dry,  scaly  picture  to  the  eye.  There  is  some  irritation 
of  the  surface,  leading  to  the  birds  picking  or  scratching  the  parts, 
thereby  increasing  the  difficulty.  Daily  rubbing  with  an  ointment  (ole- 
ate  of  zinc,  one  teaspoonful,  to  vaseline,  five  teaspoonfuls)  will  soften  the 
dry  scales,  remove  the  itching  and  improve  the  appearance  of  the  legs. 
Changes  in  diet  have  not  seeme'd  to  make  any  improvement  in  these 
cases  and  the  local  treatment  is  all  we  can  pursue. 

Dropsy  of  Feet. 

This  may  be  due  to  a  gouty  or  to  a  sluggish  condition  of  the  circu- 
lation. Anything  that  holds  back  the  return  circulation  'of  blood, 
whether  a  congested  liver  or  pressure  of  a  tumor,  tends  to  increase  the 
size  of  shanks  and  toes.  Freezing  of  the  feet  is  followed  by  a  dropsical 
state  of  the  parts  involved.  Crowding  with  food,  or  furnishing  no  incen- 
tive to  exercise,  tends  toward  appearance  of  this  trouble.  Unless  there 
is  serious  organic  disease  that  causes  enlai'ged  legs,  plain  (unstimulat- 
ing)  food,  green  vegetables  in  abundance  and  a  dose  or  two  of  castor  oil 
will  improve  and  probably  cure  the  disease.  As  the  legs  reduce  in  size, 
provide  more  and  more  exercise  to  stimulate  the  functions  of  the  entire 
body.  Brooder  chicks,  developing  this  condition,  need  to  be  fed  their 
grain  in  barn  chaff  or  finely  cut  straw.  Overfeeding  and  no  exercise  are 
the  usual  causes  of  dropsy  of  the  legs  of  growing  chicks. 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  25 

Bumble-Foot. 

Bumble-foot  is  a  tender,  inflamed  condition  of  the  bo'tom  of  the  foot, 
involving  the  tissues  lying  beneath  the  skin  and  usually  is  accompanied 
by  the  formation  of  matter.  In  the  very  beginning  of  bumble-foot  there 
is  a  slight  thickening  of  the  sole  of  the  foot,  with  some  tenderness  of 
the  irritated  layers.  Pressure  is  increased,  the  blood  supply  is  shut  off, 
pus  forms  and  has  a  tendency  to  "work  out  into  other  parts  of  the  foot 
or  leg.  In  most  cases  bumble-foot  seems  to  be  the  result  of  a  bruise,  as 
the  general  belief  of  poultrymen  is  that  it  is  caused  by  jumping  from  a 
high  roost  onto  a  hard  floor.  I  have  known  several  cases  where  the 
birds  had  never  been  allowed  to  roost  at  all.  I  have  always  thought  that 
every  case  of  bumble-foot  was  caused  by  an  irritation  of  some  foreign 
body,  such  as  splinters,  bits  of  glass,  or  briars,  or  from  germs  introduced 
through  the  skin  by  some  puncture  by  one  of  the  substances  named.  I 
have  looked  for  foreign  bodies,  but  never  found  any  except  glass.  A 
bird  with  bumble-foot  limps  slightly,  as  though  it  hurt  to  press  the  sore 
part  on  the  ground.  If  resting  it  is  inclined  to  stand  on  the  well  foot. 
If  walking,  it  hurries  to  get  from  the  bad  to  the  good  leg.  As  pus 
forms  the  limp  is  decidedly  pronounced  and  diagnosis  ought  to  be  easy 
without  examination  of  the  sore  foot. 

A  case  caused  by  a  simple  bruise  is  often  aborted  by  washing  the 
foot  in  strong  vinegar,  or  painting  the  thickened  skin  with  tincture  of 
iodine.  Most  of  the  cases  that  have  come  to  our  attention  had  developed 
pus.  These  should  have  the  pus  cavity  opened  with  a  clean  thin  knife, 
the  matter  washed  out  with  carbolized  water,  and  the  entire  surface  of 
the  cavity  itself  painted  with  a  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver — ten  grains 
to  one  ounce  of  distilled  or  rain  water.  Bumble-foot  cases  are  often 
neglected  until  the  bottom  of  the  foot  gets  into  a  condition  of  chronic 
inflammation  that  is  hard  to  relieve.  Birds  that  have  had  the  pus  cavity 
opened  should  be  kept  on  clean,  dry  straw  for  a  week.  Many  cases  have 
had  bad  results  from  treatment  because  obliged  to  walk  about  in  the  filth 
of  the  yard  or  house.  The  cut  opens  the  tissues  to  the  dangers  from 
germ  life,  and  it  is  little  wonder  that  many  cases  have  to  have  the  pus 
discharged  over  and  over  again. 

Leg  Weakness. 
Leg  weakness  is  seldom  to  be  seen  except  in  half-grown  stock.  It 
appears  in  growing  birds,  between  sixteen  and  twenty-four  weeks  old, 
cockerels  rather  than  pulMs,  in  heavy  rather  than  in  light  weight 
breeds.  Behind  leg  weakness  we  usually  find  a  history  of  over-feeding 
of  fat-producing  foods,  or  the  giving  of  too  little  of  bone  and  muscle 
foods,  or  both.  Some  cases  have  been  seen  in  flocks  fe'd  a  large  quantity 
of  condiments  or  "egg  food."  Increasing  the  weight  of  the  body  beyond 
fhe  ability  of  the  legs  to  support  it,  or  any  process  that  intends  to  gain 
size  at  the  expense  of  time,  is  liable  to  end  in  leg  weakness.  The  first 
symptom  is  a  slight  weakness  of  the  legs  in  walking,  hardly  noticeable 
to  a  stranger,  but  suggesting  trouble  to  one  who  is  observant  of  his  own 
birds.     The  g'ait  is  unsteady,  and  the  muscles  are  working  at  some  dis- 


26  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

advantage.  In  a  few  days  the  birds  may  be  found  sitting  when  eating, 
and  are  inclined  to  walk  very  little.  Looking  the  bird  over  at  this  time 
you  w'ill  find  little  wrong  about  him  except  the  leg  trouble.  His  comb 
is  bright,  eye  clear,  appetite  good  and  feathers  brig'ht  and  clean.  As 
days  go  by,  howevei',  he  presents  a  different  appearance.  He  is  slow  to 
get  to  the  feed  dish,  gets  less  than  his  share  of  grain,  is  picked  at  by  the 
other  birds  and  driven  from  place  to  place,  at  length  becomes  thin  and 
lousy,  and  an  object  of  worry  to  his  owner. 

At  the  first  appearance  of  leg-weakness  reduce  the  quantity  of  fat- 
producing  foods  *o  a  small  amount.  Take  away  corn  and  cornmeal,  and 
feed  little  condiments.  If  the  birds  are  at  all  crowded  in  house  or  roosts 
increase  the  space  or  dispose  of  some  of  the  birds.  Stop  feeding  every 
time  you  go  near  them,  giving  food  three  times  a  day,  but  never  to 
crowding  the  crop.  If  possible,  but  the  weak  birds  in  a  place  by  them- 
selves,thus  avoiding  their  being  imposed  upon  by  stronger  members  of 
the  flock.  Feed  steamed  cut  clover  to  all  the  birds  as  a  noon  meal, 
whether  it  be  summer  or  winter.  As  is  the  case  with  all  birds,  clean, 
water  and  houses  are  needed  to  go  with  improved  care.  Rub  the  legs 
with  tincture  of  arnica  and  add  one-half  teaspoonful  of  tincture  of  nux 
vomica  to  each  quart  of  the  drinking  water.  A  good  brand  of  meat  meal, 
containing  at  least  one-fifth  bone,  should  be  made  part  of  the  morning 
mash,  in  the  proportion  of  one  part  meal  to  six  of  grain  and  clover.  If 
you  have  peas  or  beans  that  you  can  boil  and  add  to  the  mash,  it  will 
be  helpful  in  building  up  the  strength  of  the  birds. 

Cram.p. 

Cramp  is  an  affliction  of  young  chicks,  somewhat  as  leg-weakness 
is  to  half-grown  birds.  Cramp  is  caused  by  overheated  brooders,  too 
many  chicks  for  the  size  of  the  brooder  and  too  little  exercise.  The  pre- 
vention as  well  as  the  cure  of  this  discouraging  condition  is  summed  up 
in  few  words — have  larger  brooders  or  fewer  chicks  in  each  brooder; 
heat  the  brooders  so  that  the  chicks  will  spread  out  on  the  floor  of  the 
"mother,"  avoiding  crowding  to  keep  warm;  lastly,  furnish  chaff  enough 
to  make  every  chick  work  to  get  its  grain.  Sand  or  earth  will  do  if  you 
cannot  get  chaff,  but  a  small  clover  cutter  will  soon  cut  you  enough  flne 
hay  or  straw  to  fill  half  a  dozen  brooder  pens.  Exercise  of  itself  will  do 
very  much  to  prevent  the  appearance  of  cramp  in  young  chicks.  Cramp 
seems  to  be  a  weakness  of  the  muscular  system  from  over-weight  of  the 
other  parts  of  the  body,  too  little  use  of  the  muscles  themselves  and  too 
rapid  growth  of  the  bones. 

Broken  Shanks. 

Hardly  a  season  goes  by  in  which  we  do  not  see  a  case  or  two  of 
broken  bones  in  our  yards.  A  chick  or  fowl  is  caught  in  a  wire  fence  or 
between  pickets,  and  in  its  endeavors  to  escape  it  snaps  the  bone  of  the 
shank.  Or  a  chick  is  run  over  by  a  team,  or  stepped  on  in  the  yard,  and 
a  break  results.  Breaks  of  this  kind  unite  quickly  if  the  parts  are  put 
together  and  kept  there.  For  little  chicks  you  will  find  common  tooth- 
picks handy  for  splints,  while  for  older  birds  you  can  easily  make  splints 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  27 

of  pine.  Even  stiff  pasteboard,  sligiitly  wet  when  applied,  will  do  good 
service.  Take  a  bandage  of  cotton  cloth,  wide  enough  to  cover  the 
length  of  the  shank,  wind  it  around  twice,  then  put  the  splints  outside 
and  finish  by  winding  the  cloth  round  three  times  more.  With  needle 
and  thread  sew  the  edges  of  the  bandage  that  it  m.ay  remain  in  place. 
The  younger  the  bird  the  sooner  the  splints  can  be  removed.  Of  course 
if  the  bird  is  large  enough,  and  you  wish  to,  you  can  serve  it  in  chicken- 
pie  or  treat  your  family  to  a  broiler.  Other  broken  bones,  such  as  those 
of  wings  or  thighs,  are  hard  to  handle  and  such  cases  are  best  suited  for 
the  cook. 

Rheumatism. 

While  'this  is  a  disease  affecting  all  parts  of  the  body,  the  prominent 
symptoms  are  those  located  in  the  legs.  Rheumatism  present^  some  rise 
in  temperature,  swollen  joints,  contraction  of  some  of  the  muscles  and 
pain  in  motion.  Rheumatism  may  result  from  long  exposure  to  cold  and 
moisture,  ,it  may  be  produced  by  the  over-feeding  of  meat,  induced 
through  the  under-feeding  of  vegetable  foods,  and  is  helped  along  by 
previous  rheumatic  tendencies  of  ancestors.  Rheumatism  is  most  likely 
to  appear  during  damp  winter  weather  in  adult  birds,  and  during  the 
brooder  stage  of  chicks. 

The  early  symptom  of  rheumatism  is  contraction  of  some  of  the 
muscles  of  the  legs.  This  generally  draws  up  the  toes  and  flexes  the 
shank  on  the  leg.  Trying  to  straighten  the  limbs  hurts  the  bird.  There 
is  inflammation  and  pain  enough  in  the  muscle  or  joint  to  cause  the  bird 
to  try  to  get  ease  by  sitting  most  of  the  time.  An  acute  case  of  rheu- 
matism, attended  by  high  temperature,  is  sometimes  complicated  by  an 
effusion  of  liquid  into  the  sack  covering  the  heart,  disturbing  greatly  the 
heart's  action.  These  cases  often  die  suddenly  and  without  apparent 
cause.  The  heart  complicaition  is  unsuspected  until  made  evident  as  the 
result  of  an  examination  after  death.  Rheumatic  cases  also  present  con- 
gested livers,  especially  in  chicks.  Adult  birds  are  subject  to  rheuma- 
tism, but  the  fatal  cases  are  few.  Brooder  chicks  exposed  to  the  evils 
of  a  damp  soil  or  dark,  cool  "mothers'"  furnish  many  cases  of  rheumatic 
trouble,  the  losses  from  the  disease  being  large. 

The  suggestions  for  treatment  also  indicate  the  line  to  be  pursued 
in  the  prevention  of  rheumatism.  Birds  should  be  housed  in  dry  and 
sunny  quarters.  Give  as  large  a  variety  of  green  vegetables  as  possible, 
not  forgetting  clover  in  the  mash.  Provide  easy  access  to  grass  if  in 
the  growing  season.  The  water  dishes  should  be  protected  to  keep  the 
birds  and  floor  as  dry  as  possible.  Rheumatic  brooder  chicks  need  an 
even  temperature  of  the  "mother,"  some  facilities  for  scratching,  enough 
sand  or  chaff  on  the  floor  to  lessen  bottom  heat,  and  water  dishes 
arranged  to  keep  the  chicks  dry.  The  chicks  must  have  daily  feeds  of 
lettuce,  cabbage  or  some  green  vegetable.  In  the  winter  season,  turnip 
or  carrot  tops,  xhe  little  shoots  that  start  on  the  roots  when  in  the  cel- 
lar, will  be  found  to  be  useful.  Finely  cut  clover,  and  the  clover  tea  to 
mix  the  mash,  are  also  helpful  at  any  time  of  the  year. 


.28  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

Swollen  joints  or  muscles  can  be  rubbed  with,  tincture  of  opium  or 
extract  of  witch  hazel,  or  bathed  with  weak  alcohol.  For  intei'nal  treat- 
ment there  is  no  better  remedy  than  iodide  of  potassium.  This  is  given 
in  the  drinking  water,  for  chicks  and  adult  birds  alike,  fifteen  grains  of 
iodide  of  potassium  to  every  quart  of  water.  Give  in  small  dishes,  so 
that  it  all  may  be  used  while  fairly  fresh,  and  thus  avoid  waste  that 
comes  from  having  to  throw  away  any  because  it  is  mixed  with  dirt  or 
leaves.  Common  cooking  soda,  one  level  teaspoonful  to  each  quart  of 
drinking  water,  or  salicylic  acid  one  grain  twice  a  day,  has  given  good 
results  with  'old  birds,  but  the  iodide  is  the  best  and  most  satisfactory. 

Crop-Bound. 

Impaction  of  the  crop  is  a  condition  known  to  many  keepers  of  poul- 
try. This  is  caused  by  the  retention  and  swelling  of  grain,  by  the  accu- 
mulation of  long  pieces  of  grass  or  hay,  or  by  some  obstruction  at  the 
outlet  of  the  crop.  In  rare  instances  it  results  from  the  damming  of  food 
from  impaction  of  the  gizzard.  Bird's  kept  closely  housed  all  w'inter  are 
eager  in  the  spring  time  to  eat  the  dead  grass  that  has  laid  under  the 
snow  for  months.  This  is  quite  tough  and  is  likely  to  give  way  near  the 
ground,  giving  lengths  from  two  to  five  or  more  inches.  By  swallowing 
these  in  large  numbers  there  is  danger  of  the  pieces  rolling  and  matting 
together  and  forming  a  round  ball  in  the  crop.  There  is  also  a  source 
of  danger  in  the  scratching  material  furnished,  unless  vegetable  food  is 
provided  to  satisfy  the  craving  of  the  bird.  The  bird  will  gdt  "filling" 
in  some  way  even  though  it  eats  its  bedding  of  leaves  and  straw. 

Cases  of  impaction  caused  by  cracked  corn  have  come  to  my  aitten- 
tion.  Nearly  grown  cockerels  fed  at  night  a  very  full  feed  of  cracked 
■corn  have  gorged  themselves  with  it,  and  then  drank  water,  causing  the 
corn  to  swell  so  as  to  stretch  the  crop  to  its  utmost.  Such  cases  usually 
correct  themselves,  or  with  a  little  manipulation  soon  get  cleared  of  the 
packed  contents.  Now  and  then  you  w^ill  run  across  a  case  of  impaction 
caused  by  some  foreign  substance  filling  the  outlet  of  the  crop.  This 
may  be  wood  or  bone,  with  a  sharp  point  siticking  into  the  sides  of  the 
crop,  or  possibly  lying  across  the  outlet.  So  far  as  the  size  of  any  sub- 
stance is  concerned  you  may  accept  it  as  a  fact  that  anything  a  hen  swal- 
lows will  pass  through  the  digestive  system  safely.  I  have  found  an 
exception  or  two  to  this  statement  as  will  be  illustrated  when  we  take  up 
the  gizzard. 

A  case  of  impaction  due  to  over-feed  of  swollen  grain  should  be 
handled  by  manipulation.  Try  to  get  a  little  castor  oil  down  the  food 
passage,  then  gently  begin  at  the  part  of  the  crop  nearest  the  mouth 
and  push  a  little  grain  toward  the  head.  Hold  the  bird  head  down, 
thereby  letting  gravity  help  do  the  w^ork.  Have  patience,  work  care- 
fully, and  if  you  do  not  succeed  along  this  line  then  you  can  open  and 
clear  out  the  crop  through  an  opening  in  the  skin. 

Nearly  all  cases  of  crop-bound  are  due  to  a  collection  of  long  pieces 
of  grass  or  hay.  These  are  nearly  all  to  be  helped  by  operation.  Have 
some  one  hold  ihe  bird  so  you  can  have  both  hands  free  to  work.     Pluck 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  29 

enough  feathers  from  the  breast  to  give  bare  skin  half  an  inch  wide  by 
two  inches  long.  Then  with  a  sharp  knife  cut  through  the  skin,  length- 
wise of  the  bird,  an  opening  one  inch  long,  over  the  place  of  the  swollen 
crop.  Cut  only  the  skin,  leaving  the  crop  untouched  umtil  the  blood  of 
the  first  incision  has  ceased  to  flow.  Then  cut  through  the  crop  a  line 
a  little  over  half  an  inch  long.  Half  an  inch  may  seem  short,  but  you 
will  be  surprised  to  see  how  large  the  opening  is  after  you  have  worked 
through  it  for  a  while.  In  removing  substances  from  the  crop  be  care- 
fut  to  let  as  little  as  possible  slip  between  the  skin  and  crop.  With  an 
opening  into  the  crop,  begin  with  sugar-tongs,  tootlipicks,  or  anything 
else  handy,  to  remove  the  contents.  If  filled  with  grass  or  hay  it  may 
be  necessary  to  cut  the  mass  with  scissors  before  any  star't  can  be  made. 
When  the  crop  is  apparently  empty  push  your  little  finger  into  it,  feeling 
to  know  whether  there  is  any  cbstruction  at  the  outlet.  If  you  find  the 
opening  clear,  the  last  thing  is  to  sew  up  the  cut.  With  needle  and  white 
silk  thread  take  two  single  stitches  in  the  cut  in  the  crop,  leaving  ends 
long  enough  to  hang  out  of  the  wound  an  inch.  Then  in  the  same  way 
take  three  stitches  in  the  skin,  being  careful  not  to  include  the  crop  in 
the  knot  tied.  After  the  operation,  feed  ligiitly  on  well  cooked  mash, 
omitting  grain  for  a  week. 

Infianimation  of  the  Crop. 

Inflammation  of  the  crop  is  caused  by  an  irration  of  retained  food 
or  from  the  effect  of  foreign  substances  swallowed.  Irritating  materials, 
such  as  paint-skins,  rough-on-rats  and  pieces  of  unslacked  lime,  produce 
the  trouble  through  direct  contact  with  the  mucous  lining  of  the  crop. 
The  feeding  of  too  large  a  quantity  of  black  or  red  pepper  in  the  mash 
has  caused  inflamed  crops  as  well  as  trouble  with  the  egg  functions.  With 
a  crop  that  is  tender  and  even  painful  the  hen  is  restless,  moving  about 
without  aim,  giving  one  the  im.pression  that  there  is  trouble  w'ith  diges- 
tion. Now  and  then  the  bird  m'ay  be  seen  trying  to  swallow  when  it 
has  taken  no  food  for  hours.  The  motions  of  breathing  are  jerky,  made 
so  by  the  pullin'g  of  the  muscles  on  the  crop. 

If  the  cause  is  recent,  still  getting  in  its  work,  try  to  empty  the  crop. 
If  the  contents  are  small  it  may  be  well  to  dilute  them  by  pouring  into 
the  mouth  a  few  spoonfuls  of  water  and  then  empty  as  before.  If 
behind  the  trouble  is  the  effect  of  air-slacked  lime,  give  weak  vinegar 
water;  if  phosphorous  (rough-on-rats),  give  magnesia.  Having  emptied 
the  crop  give  flaxseed  tea  and  keep  the  birds  on  simple  diet  for  a  week. 

Enlarged  Crop. 

Enlarged  crops  are  more  a  source  of  fret  to  the  owner  than  to  the 
birds.  These  crops  have  become  large  through  a  long  continued  stretch- 
ing; sometimes  from  over-feeding,  more  often  from  impacted  crops 
allowed  to  corredt  themselves.  The  appearance  of  a  bird  with  an  over 
large  crop  is  not  pleasing  and  there  is  always  food  in  it  that  the  weak 
muscles  cannot  push  on  the  gizzard.  To  remedy  this  trouble,  pluck 
feathers  as  for  impacted  crop  and  make  incisions  as  before,  only  mak- 
ing them  much  longer.     Cut  out  with  blunt  pointed  scissors,  both  skin 


30  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

and  crop,  so  the  opening  will  look  like  a  pair  of  (  ),  removing  quite  a 

little  membrane.     Sew  it  as  described  for  impacted  chop,  being  sure  to 

Stitch  the  crop  and  skin  separately.     Feed  lightly  for  a  week,  removing 

such  threads  as  are  in  sight  at  the  end  of  four  days.     There  is  little  profit 

in  doing  all  this  for  a  fifty-cent  hen,  but  if  the  bird  happens  to  be  your 

best  exhibition  cockerel  you  will  have  a  feeling  of  satisfaction  when  the 

ill  looks  are  remedied. 

Gastritis. 

Gastritis  is  a  disease  of  the  enlargement  of  the  food  passage  just 
before  it  reaches  the  gizzard.  It  seldom  is  met  except  in  connection  with 
inflammation  of  the  crop.  The  same  cause  of  irritation  works  in  both 
cases.  Long  continued  over-feeding  or  the  over  use  of  spice,  or  the  ill 
effects  of  the  taking  in  of  some  poison,  are  behind  gastritis.  The  mucous 
lining  is  red,  over  moist  and  the  blood  vessels  large.  The  symptoms 
are  those  of  indigestion — lack  of  appetite,  diarrhea  one  day  and  consti- 
pation the  next,  some  little  rise  in  temperature  and  general  weakness. 
Study  to  find  out  the  cause  of  the  case  you  may  have  on  hand.  Do  not 
let  the  irritating  cause  continue  its  work.  Make  the  drinking  water 
soothing  by  adding  some  rice  and  then  boiling  it.  Omit  from  mash  all 
bran  and  mix  it  With  clover  tea.  Add  to  every  pint  of  the  drinking  water 
one-tenth  of  a  grain  of  arsenite  of  copper. 

Indigestion. 

This  is  a  disorder  affecting  the  entire  digestive  system  from  the  crop 
to  the  intestines.  It  may  be  an  indication  of  a  naturally  weak  digestion 
or  it  may  be  the  result  of  an  over-feeding  process.  Even  the  persistent 
use  of  an  imperfectly  balanced  ration  is  likely  to  give  symptoms  of  indi- 
gestion. There  is  danger  in  feeding  too  often,  especially  young  chicks. 
There  is  quite  a  difference  between  letting  a  bird  hunt  for  its  food  all 
day  and  giving  it  a  full  meal  too  often.  Exercise  is  needed  as  well  as 
good  food  to  give  the  best  results.  In  fact,  lazy  birds  are  especially 
prone  to  dyspepsia,  and  commonly  it  is  the  owner  who  is  to  blame  for 
the  lack  of  exercise.  The  use  of  ground  grains  and  meat  to  the  exclusion 
of  clover  hay  and  vegetables,  is  responsible  for  many  a  flock  of  dyspep- 
tic hens. 

Given  a  flock  of  hens  with  indigestion,  the  first  step  is  to  put  them 
into  every-day  common  sense  care  and  feeding.  Have  the  house  free 
from  dust  and  cobwebs,  that  is,  let  the  sun  shine  in  and  sweeten  the 
pens;  clean  every  water  dish  and  see  that  the  supply  in  future  is  pure; 
decide  on  a  well-balanced  ration  and  feed  at  regular  hours;  provide 
scratching  material  enough  to  give  exercise  sufficient  to  produce  good 
appetites.  If  for  one  week  at  the  beginning  of  the  improved  care  you 
will  add  one  teaspoonful  of  sulphate  of  magnesia  to  every  quart  of  drink- 
ing water,  and  follow  this  for  two  weeks  with  one-eighth  of  a  grain  of 
strychnine  to  each  quart  of  water,  you  will  hasten  the  time  when  the 
birds  will  be  well. 

Break-down. 

Break-down  is  easily  recognized  by  the  prominent  "baggy  condi- 
tion" of  two  and  three-year-old  hens.     I  have  seldom  seen  it  in  pullets 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  31 

and  never  in  male  birds.  Break-down  is  the  result  of  a  corn  diet.  The 
birds  are  not  satisfied  with  the  elements  furnished  in  the  corn  and  corn- 
meal,  and  to  supply  the  need  of  existing  in  their  system  eat  to  excess. 
In  this  they  gee  too  much  of  the  fat-producing  parts  and  too  little  of 
muscle  and  egg  elements.  There  is  a  large  fat  deposit  in  the  abdomen, 
bulging  and  dragging  down  the  skin  and  muscles,  giving  an  ungainly 
appearance  to  the  bird.  It  is  a  question  to  be  decided  on  its  merits  at 
the  time  -w^hether  to  diet  these  cases  or  to  market  them.  They  probably 
are  salable  and  if  cured  will  be  worth  little  for  breeding  or  egg  laying. 
The  real  good  to  be  gained  from  recognizing  the  cause  of  the  "break- 
down" condition  is  that  of  avoiding  it  in  the  future.  Having  made  the 
mistake  of  using  too  much  of  the  corn  products,  be  careful  not  to  do  the 
same  another  year.  Because  one  of  our  state  experiment  stations  has 
issued  a  glowing  report  of  the  results  of  feeding  corn,  do  not  follow  too 
deeply  in  its  wake.  If  you  will  try  it,  let  it  be  on  a  single  pen,  and  you 
will  not  run  the  risk  of  few  eggs  and  many  hens  with  "break-down." 

Spring  Ailments. 

It  is  the  first  of  May  and  the  trouTales  of  spring  are  at  work  in  our 
flocks.  The  old  birds  are  getting  out  into  natural  conditions  and  the 
little  chicks  are  beginning  to  find  out  that  there  are  dangers  for  them 
even  when  they  emerge  from  the  shell.  What  are  these  troubles  that 
confront  us  at  the  opening  of  the  growing  season?  First  I  would  put 
lack  of  vitality.  The  breeding  birds  have  been  kept  more  or  less  in  con- 
finement and  fed  probably  a  ration  too  rich  in  the  corn  element.  They 
have  likely  been  too  fat  during  the  winter  for  best  results  and  have  just 
goit  Worked  down  in  weight  to  normal  size.  If  allowed  to  run  wild  dur- 
ing March  some  of  them  have  eaten  too  much  dead  grass  and  a  case  or 
two  of  "crop  bound"  may  be  on  hand.  Then  lice  are  getting  in  their 
best  work.  Each  day  of  increasing  warmth  adds  to  the  number  of  lice 
that  infests  all  hens,  thereby  decreasing  the  strength  of  the  birds.  If 
to  the  factor  of  atmospheric  heat  we  add  that  of  the  internal  warmth  of 
the  broody  hen,  we  still  more  increase  the  danger  from  lice.  A  bird  with 
weak  vitality,  whether  from  lice  or  other  source,  is  subject  to  digestive 
troubles  and  is  in  danger  of  tuberculosis  if  exposed  to'  the  germs. 

Another  danger  of  spring  time  is  the  use  of  "egg-fo'ods."  Why  it  is 
at  this  time  of  the  year  that  so  many  fly  to  some  irritant  to  increase  the 
egg  yield  I  do  not  know,  but  I  do  know  that  it  is  during  the  late  winter 
and  early  spring  months  that  I  get  most  letters  asking  for  some  formula 
for  an  "egg  producer,"  or,  as  many  write,  "a  condition  powder  for  chicks 
and  hens."  I  never  send  any  such  formula,  as  the  best  recipe  is  good 
food  in  proper  proportions,  and  exercise.  There  may  be  a  good  condi- 
tion powder,  but  there  is  nothing  better  than  food  of  the  right  kind  and 
quantity.  There  is  also  a  danger  in  feeding  unknown  articles  to  our 
birds.  My  own  experience,  and  that  of  my  correspondents,  satisfy  me 
of  the  truth  stated  in  one  of  our  poultry  journals,  that  "condition  pow- 
ders waste  good  money  and  at  times  work  mischief  to  our  birds."  A 
little  money  spent  just  now  on  some  green  food,  even  though  it  be  only 


33  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

cut  clover,  will  give  better  results  in  number  and  fertility  of  eggs  than 
any  egg  producer  on  the  market.  There  is  nothing  better  for  spice  than 
black  pepper  and  ginger,  but  these  should  be  used  as  we  would  in  our 
own  food.  To  increase  the  amount  is  to  irritate  the  digestive  canal  and 
stimulate  too  much  the  egg  passage. 

The  secret  of  healthy  birds,  and  an  average  egg  yield  to  be  proud  of, 
is  intelligent  care  and  feeding  rather  than  the  use  of  any  drugs.  My 
best  results  in  growth  and  egg  yield  have  always  been  obtained  when  I 
fed  simply  a  well-balanced  ration  slightly  spiced  with  black  pepper.  I 
have  used  nothing  else  for  five  years  and  if  I  were  to  tell  the  results  of 
some  experiments  six  years  ago  with  "egg  persuaders"  you  would  be 
surprised  to  see  how  the  egg  yield  went  down  as  the  "egg  food"  was  fed. 
Most  of  the  large  egg  records  have  been  made  without  stimulants.  Last 
year,  in  ten  and  one-half  months,  my  hens  averaged  one  hundred  and 
ninety-six  eggs  for  every  bird  in  my  yards  and  this  was  without  the  use 
of  any  drugs  or  doses  of  any  kind.  These  birds  were  raised  without  any 
condition  powders  and  at  no  time  were  they  sick  in  any  way.  It  is  a 
waste  of  good  money  to  buy  "egg  foods."  Study  to  feed  sweet,  well- 
balanced  food  and  depend  upon  exercise  for  the  best  tonic  you  can 
obtain. 

A  good  ration  for  results  in  egg  yield  and  health  varies  somewhat 
according  to  the  season  and  the  condition  of  the  birds.  I  have  found 
the  following  to  give  satisfactory  returns  in  every  way — ^the  mash,  well 
cooked  and  fed  warm,  made  of  bran  two  parts,  ground  oats  one  part,  cut 
(or  ground)  clover  two  parts,  cornmeal  one  part,  ground  meat  and  bone 
one  part,  all  by  measure.  Feed  two-thirds  of  what  they  would  eat  if 
you  gave  them  the  chance.  Wheat,  barley  and  corn,  fed  sparingly  in  the 
litter  after  the  giving  of  the  morning  mash,  and  given  freely  at  night, 
give  best  results  if  used  according  to  the  temperature  of  the  season. 
The  lower  the  temperature  the  more  corn  and  less  wheat;  the  higher 
the  temperature  more  wheat  and  less  corn.  Barley  should  not  make  up 
more  than  one-fifth  of  the  whole  grain  fed.  Good  food  alone,  although 
properly  balanced,  will  not  produce  healthy  chicks  and  good  laying  hens. 
They  must  have  pure  air  and  a  dry  location.  To  oblige  birds  to  sleep 
over  the  accumulations  on  the  droppings  boards,  or  to  breathe  the  air  of 
a  crowded,  poorly  ventilated  house,  is  to  lessen  the  profit  as  well  as  to 
invite  disease  to  your  fiocks. 

Tuberculosis  in  Brooder  Chicks. 

There  is  a  danger  to  our  brooder  chicks,  often  overlooked  and  sel- 
dom recognized,  from  tuberculosis.  I  am  sure  I  am  not  wrong  in  stat- 
ing that  one-fifth  the  loss  in  brooder  chicks  is  due  to  tubercular 
troubles.  It  is  hard  to  say  where  the  first  case  comes  from  in  a  new 
brooder,  as  it  is  believed  that  the  disease  does  not  exist  in  the  newly 
hatched  chick,  but  the  number  of  cases  gradually  increases  as  the  brood- 
er continues  to  be  used.  The  less  care  given  to  cleaning  the  brooder  the 
more  cases  of  tuberculosis  will  appear.  Tuberculosis  thrives  in  foul  air 
and  darkness.     What  an  opportunity  then  there  is  for  it  to  make  ranid 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  33 

progress  in  many  of  our  brooders.  Remember  how  much  pains  we  take 
to  have  a  circulation  of  pure  warm  air  through  our  incubators,  and  then 
see  how  ready  we  are  to  confine  the  growing  chicks  to  the  dark  and  close 
air  of  a  pipe  brooder  system.  How  many  brooders  do  you  know  that 
admit  light?  Are  your  brooders  so  made  as  to  furnish  an  abundance  of 
fresh,  warm  air,  and  lastly,  do  you  keep  them  clean?  What  better  place 
could  be  made  for  the  development  of  tuberculosis  than  the  dry,  dark, 
foul,  hot  modern  brooder?  To  get  the  best  results  from  artificial  brood- 
ing, we  must  start  with  germ-free  brooders.  They  must  be  supplied, 
with  sweet  air  in  generous  quantity;  they  must  be  kept  clean,  and  they 
must  be  opened  as  often  as  possible  to  the  direct  sunshine.  The  best 
destroyer  of  a  tuberculosis  germ  is  fresh  air  and  sunlight.  In  incuba- 
tors we  have  reached  a  high  standard,  but  in  brooders  we  are  still  wait- 
ing for  as  good  results.  There  is  a  small  fortune  for  the  man  who  can 
put  on  the  market,  and  introduce  it,  a  brooder  that  supplies  a  large 
quantity  of  fresh  warm  air,  and  has  at  the  same  time  a  well  lighted 
hover  chamber. 

The  Rhode  Island  Experiment  Station  states  in  a  recent  report: 
"The  simple  expedient  of  removing  the  hovers  and  setting  them  out  of 
doors  in  the  full  sun  reduced  the  evidence  of  tuberculosis  in  the  post- 
mortem examinations  from  nearly  fifty  per  cent  to  only  three  per  cent." 
It  also  says:  "For  guarding  against  tuberculosis,  give  the  interior  of 
the  brooders  all  the  sun  and  air  possible  on  pleasant  days." 

During  the  past  winter  I  was  asked  to  visit  a  broiler  plant  where 
the  deaths  from  some  new  disease  were  very  large.  I  found  that  under 
apparently  the  same  conditions  in  previous  years  there  had  been  a  much 
lower  death  rate.  The  chicks  as  they  came  from  the  incubators  were 
large  and  healthy.  There  were  few  deaths  until  the  third  week.  The 
style  of  brooder,  way  of  feeding,  and  amount  of  food  seemed  to  play  no 
part  in  the  results.  The  chicks  seemed  to  thrive  for  a  while  and  then 
in  tens  and  twenties  would  lose  appetite,  become  dumpish,  grow  thin 
and  die.  Of  the  chicks  brooded  in  the  dark  days  of  January  fifty  per 
cent  died.  Examination  showed  little  change  in  the  gizzard  or  bowels. 
The  livers  were  slightly  darker  than  in  health,  but  the  lungs  were  soft 
and  gritty.  These  were  tuberculous  chicks  from  infected  brooders  and 
the  only  thing  to  do  was  to  clean  up  the  brooders  and  keep  things  in 
as  sweet  a  condition  as  possible,  and  arrange  to  start  next  season  with 
brooders  free  from  germs. 

The  Liver. 

An  over-large  or  solid  liver  (hypertrophy  it  is  named),  is  most  com- 
mon in  the  late  winter  or  early  spring  months,  especially  in  hens  com- 
pleting their  second  year.  This  result  is  due  to  the  constant  over-feed- 
ing of  heat-producing  foods  to  the  exclusion  of  bulky  vegetable  ele- 
ments. On  many  farms  corn  is  the  only  grain  raised,  and  to  the  farmer 
it  seems  too  bad  to  buy  wheat  and  barley  when  he  has  so  much  corn  on 
hand.  Then  there  is  the  lack  of  exercise  due  to  close  houses  and  small 
yards,  and  no  scratching  material.     Over-feeding  and  little  work  cause 


34  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

the  deposit  of  fat  in  various  parts  of  the  body  and  no  organ  suffers  more 
from  this  cause  than  the  liver. 

At  the  beginning  of  this  trouble  the  hen  shows  an  increased  bright- 
ness in  comb  and  wattles  and  is  an  extra  good  layer.  Soon  .however, 
the  reaction  comes.  The  comb  becomes  less  bright  and  the  bird  takes 
little  pains  in  the  care  of  its  plumage.  As  the  bird  becomes  more  and 
more  heavy  it  moves  about  slowly,  taking  time  in  all  motions,  staying 
on  the  roost  late  in  the  morning  and  returning  to  it  early  in  the  after- 
noon. Unless  some  "break  down"  intervenes  the  bird  at  length  crawls 
into  a  corner  at  night. 

Birds  in  the  early  stages  of  enlargement  of  the  liver  respond  fairly 
well  to  a  changed  ration.  Of  course  it  takes  longer  to  remove  the  dis- 
eased condition  than  it  did  to  produce  it,  and  the  profits  are  sadly 
reduced  during  the  weeks  of  patiently  feeding  the  birds  to  overcome  the 
hurtful  state  of  body. 

Add  to  the  drinking  water,  one-half  teaspoonful  powdered  muriate 
of  ammonia  to  every  quart  and  continue  this  for  one  week. 

Atrophy. 

This  is  due  to  a  starvation  diet,  either  from  a  badly  balanced  ration 
or  from  too  little  food.  I  saw  a  flock  in  this  condition  several  years  ago 
due  to  the  owner's  trying  to  keep  cheaply  through  the  winter  a  lot  of 
late  hatched  birds.  Atrophy  or  wasting  of  the  liver  may  also  be  due  in  a 
small  proportion  of  cases  to  a  previous  condition  of  enlargement. 

There  is  no  better  way  to  avoid  this,  and  other  diseases  of  the  liver, 
than  by  common  sense  care  and  thoughtful  feeding.  If  we  would  only 
profit  from  our  experiences  of  the  past  we  should  soon  see  little  liver 
trouble  of  any  kind. 

Birds  in  which  this  wasting  process  has  begun  are  off  condition, 
showing  it  in  every  part  of  the  body.  The  bird  is  dull,  inclined  to  stay 
near  the  house,  does  little  scratching  and  is  off  color  in  comb  and  wat- 
tles. Feed  these  birds  generously  of  a  ration  easily  digested  and  well 
balanced.  Give  fresh  water  daily,  adding  to  each  quart  one-half  tea- 
spoonful  "Fowler's  solution  of  arsenic." 

In  fattening  birds  for  market  do  not  take  too  long  to  accomplish 
your  purpose.  If  you  do,  you  run  the  risk  of  having  some  of  your  birds 
break  down  and  go  light.  The  fattening  process  is  one  step  toward  a 
fatal  end  and  must  be  brought  to  its  desired  limit  before  disease  has 
an  opportunity  to  begin. 

Constipation. 

This  condition  is  met  with  in  both  chicks  and  old  birds,  but  is  most 
common  in  young  birds.  Especially  in  brooder  chicks  do  we  have  this 
trouble  to  overcome.  Little  exercise  and  the  feeding  of  a  mash  or 
johnny  cake  containing  too  little  of  the  coarser  forms  of  grain  is  to 
blame  for  many  cases  of  constipation.  Even  the  absence  of  green  food 
favors  sluggish  bowels.  Hens  kept  in  close  houses  and  small  yards 
away  from  all  grass  and  weeds  are  subject  to  this  trouble. 

Constipation  in  brooder  chicks  is  quickly  cured  by  increasing  the 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  35 

proportion  of  bran,  in  the  mash,  and  furnishing  green  food,  such  as  let- 
tuce, cabbage  or  steamed  cut-clover.  Also  put  into  the  brooder  pens  all 
the  waste  from  the  hay  mows  or  baled  hay.  In  this  waste  the  chicks 
will  find  and  eat  many  a  seed  or  leaf  that  will  help  supply  a  craving 
and  furnish  bulk  for  the  bowels'  demands. 

Adult  birds,  with  constipation,  need  treatment  much  like  that  of 
chicks.  Give  them  a  grass  run  in  the  growing  season,  and  in  winter 
feed  liberally  of  cut-clover  and  bran,  increasing  or  diminishing  the 
amount  as  seems  to  be  required. 

Peritonitis. 

Peritonitis,  or  an  infiamination  of  the  membrane  covering  the  organs 
in  the  abdomen  and  lining  that  cavity,  is  a  serious  and  aftal  disease.  It 
is  seldom  a  disease  originating  in  the  membrane,  but  extends  from  some 
other  part  or  organ  of  the  abdomen.  Some  outside  violence  may  so 
irritate  the  memljrane  as  to  precipitate  trouble,  but  it  is  more  likely  to 
occur  from  either  the  bursting  of  a  blood  vessel  in  the  egg  passage,  or 
from  tuberculosis. 

The  fever  in  peritonitis  runs  high,  from  105  to  110  degrees.  The 
bird  is  decidedly  hot  to  the  touch,  especially  over  the  bowels.  There  is 
much  uneasiness  in  the  bird's  motions,  though  at  the  same  time  the  ten- 
derness of  the  inflamed  parts  is  -extreme.  As  the  inflammation  pro- 
gresses the  bird  becomes  weak,  flnally  falling  on  its  side  with  legs  drawn 
close  to  the  body.     The  appetite  is  gone  and  breathing  difficult. 

These  cases  are  seldom  cured.  Most  of  them  are  hopeless  from  the 
start.  Opium  pills,  one  grain  each,  given  twice  a  day  will  ease  the  pain 
and  quiet  the  bird.  All  food  should  be  liquid,  milk  and  beef  juice,  and 
will  have  to  be  fed  to  the  bird.  Equal  parts  of  beef  .iuice  and  milk,  fed 
warmed  to  blood  heat,  and  given  in  tablespoonful  doses  three  times  a 
day,  will  be  the  best  you  can  do  for  diet. 

It  is  seldom,  however,  that  a  case  recovers  from  peritonitis. 

Egg-Bound. 

This  may  be  due  directly  to  the  condition  of  the  egg  passage  or  to 
some  more  remote  cause.  There  are  more  deaths  from  this  trouble  In 
late  winter  than  in  all  the  rest  of  the  year.  This  is  largely  owing  to 
an  overfat  condition  of  the  entire  system,  in  which  the  egg  passage  is 
pressed  upon  by  the  accumulation  of  fat  about  it,  hindering  the  passage 
of  the  egg.  Egg-bound  is  most  common  in  sluggish  birds  or  those 
closely  confined  without  opportunity  to  exercise.  Active  birds,  such 
as  the  Leghorns,  seldom  take  life  easy  enough  to  get  fax,  hence  are  not 
subject  to  "egg-bound."  The  large  birds,  slow  in  movement,  but  with 
good  appetites,  take  on  fat  mere  readily  and  present  isolated  cases  of 
this  character. 

A  large  proportion  of  birds  which  die  from  this  egg-bound  condition 
will  be  found  on  examination  to  be  over-fat.  Not  only  are  there  large 
collections  of  fat  in  the  abdominal  cavity,  but  much  of  the  muscular 
tissue  is  replaced  by  streaks  of  fat.     This  weakens  the  muscles  of  the 


36  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

egg  passage  so  that  between  the  extra  straining  and  the  weak  walls  it 
gives  way,  allowing  the  egg  or  its  contents  to  pass  into  the  a^bdominal 
cavity.  The  presence  of  a  foreign  body  excites  inflammation  and  peri- 
tonitis follows. 

T!his  same  egg-bound  condition  may  cause  death  from  heart  disease. 
The  bird  goes  on  the  nest  to  lay.  It  strains  violently  to  pass  the  egg. 
The  heart  muscles,  in  common  with  the  general  muscular  condition, 
are  decidedly  weak  from  fatty  degeneration.  The  extra  exertion  is  too 
much  for  the  weakened  heart,  and  it  gives  out,  the  bird  being  found 
on  the  nest  dead. 

Even  the  collection  of  fat  at  the  lower  end  of  the  abdominal  cavity 
is  sometimes  sufficient  to^  prevent  the  passage  of  the  egg.  Over-fat  hens 
are  inclined  to  lay  double  yolk  eggs,  and  the  extra  size  adds  to  the  dif- 
ficulty in  passing  the  egg.  Then  there  are  cases  where  an  egg  gets 
broken  on  its  passage  through  the  oviduct,  obstructing  the  passage  of 
eggs  following  ihe  broken  one. 

Sometimes  pullets  are  egg-bound  for  a  few  days  when  trying  to 
pass  their  first  egg,  but  these  cases  comm'only  adjust  themselves  after  a 
short  time. 

You  have  all  seen  cases  of  egg-bound  hens,  and  recognize  the  symp- 
toms. The  hen  moves  about,  withovit  apparent  cause,  going  at  times 
to  the  nest,  but  without  dropping  an  egg.  The  tail  feathers  are  lowered, 
looking  much  as  they  would  on  a  rainy  day.  Take  the  bird  in  your 
hands,  watch  the  movements  of  the  muscles  at  the  vent  and  you  will 
see  that  the  bird  is  trying  to  eject  an  egg.  Pass  your  little  finger,  well 
oiled,  into  the  passage,  and  you  will  feel  the  muscular  movements  and 
perhaps  run  the  finger  tip  against  the  egg  itself. 

Long  continued  cases  of  egg-bound  birds  are  seldom  helped  by  any 
treatment.  The  over-fat  condition  has  existed  too  long  to  be  helped  by 
any  change  in  diet.  If  the  bird  is  heavy  and  in  otherwise  good  health 
serve  in  a  "chicken  pie"  at  your  earliest  convenience. 

Simple  cases  of  egg-bound  hens  are  worth  trying  to  help.  With 
an  oiled  finger  try  to  reach  and  break  the  egg,  removing  it  if  possible. 
If  the  egg  is  beyond  reach  try  giving  twenty  drops  fluid  extract  ergot 
in  a  little  warm  water,  and  after  waiting  an  hour  hold  the  vent  over 
hot  water. 

Birds  with  any  trouble  of  the  egg  duct  should  be  taken  from  the 
male  bird  and  housed  alone.  Feed  lightly  and  give  warmed  water  to 
drink.  If  you  get  the  egg  away  safely,  withhold  the  fat  producing  foods 
for  a  month,  giving  freely  of  clover  and  vegetables.  Tone  up  the  bird 
by  adding  ten  drops  tincture  nux  vomica  to  every  pint  drinking  water. 

Inflammation  of  Egg  Passage. 
Inflammation  of  the  egg  passage  may  occur  in  connection  with  an 
egg-bound  condition  or  may  be  dueto  the  over-use  of  stimulating  condi- 
ments and  medicines.  Some  of  the  "egg  foods"  for  sale  warranted  to 
increase  egg  production  are  decidedly  too  irritating  for  long  continued 
use,  and  are  not  without  their  dangei's  at  any  time.     Cases  of  inflamma- 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  37 

tion  of  the  egg  passage  are  occasionally  met  as  the  result  of  the  spread- 
ing of  the  disease  known  as  vent  gleet. 

Outside  injures  seldom  affect  the  egg  passage  except  as  folloTving 
breaking  and  holding  back  of  an  egg. 

Inflammation  of  the  egg  passage  is  a  serious  affair.  The  effect  of  it 
is  at  once  seen  in  the  bird's  movements  and  general  appearance.  There 
is  almost  a  constant  desire  to  strain,  as  if  an  egg  was  in  the  end  of  the 
duct.  This  straining  is  sometimes  so  violent  that  a  blood  vessel  is 
broken,  causing  death  at  once.  As  the  bird  stands,  or  moves  about,  you 
will  notice  that  the  wings  are  dropped  a  little  as  though  there  was  a 
relaxation  of  the  muscles.  The  feathers  are  ruffled  and  stand  out  from 
the  body  more  than  normal.  The  vent  of  the  bird  is  hot,  red  and  in 
motion.  In  a  day  or  two  the  bird  becomes  quiet,  as  the  result  of  exhaus- 
tion, gives  up  some  of  the  straining,  and  shows  an  increasing  paleness 
in  comb  and  wattles.  The  temperature  drops,  day  by  day,  till  at  last 
the  bird  dies  of  the  widespread  inflammation. 

This  disease  is  a  good  illustration  of  the  need  of  watching  closely 
our  birds  and  remedying  trouble  in  the  very  beginning.  So  many  of 
these  cases  are  preceded  by  a  retained  egg  that  might  be  removed  that 
we  should  learn  to  attack  disease  at  the  outset.  This  disease  is  incur- 
able unless  the  cause  can  be  removed.  Back  of  some  of  the  cases  is  an 
overfat  condition.  The  eggs  are  large,  passage  fatty  and  weak,  egg 
retained,  inflammation  follows.  These  cases  are  likely  to  be  hens  fed 
with  pullets.  They  are  less  active,  have  good  appetites,  and  put  on 
fat  on  the  same  ration  that  makes  the  pullets  fine  layers.  Some  of  these 
cases  can  be  avoided  by  cooping  hens  and  pullets  separately,  and  feed- 
ing the  old  birds  a  larger  proportion  of  clover  hay. 

When  you  think  you  have  a  case  of  inflammation  of  the  egg  pass- 
age, begin  active  treatment  at  once  by  giving  each  bird  one-half  tea- 
spoonful  sulphate  magnesia  in  a  tablespoonful  of  warm  water.  Oil  a 
small  finger  with  castor  oil  or  vaseline  and  gently  try  to  find  out  by 
examination  whether  there  is  a  retained  or  broken  egg  in  the  passage- 
Finding  an  egg,  try  to  break  it  enougih  to  enable  you  to  remove  it. 
Every  motion  you  make  should  be  gentle  and  slow.  Succeeding  in 
removing  an  egg,  feed  the  bird  for  a  week  largely  on  cut-clover  and  well 
cooked  bran.     Give  little  grain  and  avoid  corn  and  cornmeal. 

Soft-Shelled  Eggs. 

This  is  not  exactly  a  diseased  condition,  but  may  be  the  first  symp- 
tom of  approaching  danger.  Over-stimulation  of  the  egg  organs  by  use 
of  spice,  or  so-called  "egg  foods"  tends  toward  the  production  of  thin- 
shelled  eggs.  Even  fright  may  hurry  along  the  eggs  before  the  shell 
has  been  added.  Worms  may  increase  in  the  intestines  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  stimulate  the  egg  passage  to  push  along  the  egg  beyond  its 
usual  distance.  An  over-fat  hen  has  a  tendency  toward  laying  thin- 
shelled  eggs.     In  fact,  this  is  the  usual  cause  of  soft-shelled  eggs. 

There  come  times  when  a  knowledge  of  the  causes  of  this  condition 
is,  useful,  but  even  then  we  sometimes  fail  to  correct  the  tendency  to 


38  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

tMn  or  soft-shelled  eggs.  The  bird  that  laid  the  brown  eggs  that  took 
Che  first  prize  and  several  specials  at  at  the  Boston  show  in  1899,  was- 
sold  to  a  man  in  the  west  for  twenty  dollars.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that 
he  wished  to  set  some  of  the  eggs,  and  above  all  to  be  able  to  exhibit 
the  best  brown  eggs  at  the  Nashville  show,  the  bird  at  once  developed 
a  tendency  toward  thin-shelled  eggs.  It  seemed  to  be  in  perfect  health. 
Food,  exercise,  magnesia  in  drinking  water,  grit  and  oyster  shells, 
everything  thought  of  was  tried,  but  nothing  seemed  to  make  the 
slig'htest  change.  I  think  it  likely  that  the  bird  started  by  being  over- 
fat  and  this  in  some  way  set  up  an  irritation  of  the  egg  passage.  Being 
unnoticed  or  neglected,  the  condition  became  chronic  and  apparently 
incurable. 

Provided  the  cause  is  an  over-fat  condition,  you  can  meet  this  dif- 
ficulty by  providing  a  diet  low  in  fat-producing  elements,  supplying 
grit  and  oyster  shells  in  abundance,  making  the  birds  work  for  much  of 
the  grain,  and  adding  a  liberal  amount  of  cut-clover  to  the  mash.  One 
or  two  doses  of  sulphate  of  magnesia  (one  heaping  teaspoonful  to  a  pint 
of  drinking  water)  kept  before  the  hens  for  a  day,  twice  a  week,  will 
help  remove  the  layers  of  fat. 

Avoid  this  unsatisfactory  condition  by  feeding  a  well  balanced 
ration,  not  trying  to  increase  the  egg  yield  by  means  of  anything  that 
does  the  Vi^ork  by  irritation  of  the  egg  organs.  Know  the  condition  of 
the  bodies  of  your  birds  and  so  feed  as  to  keep  them  in  a  laying  state, 
but  not  over-fat.  Do  not  be  afraid  of  a  little  fat  during  the  winter 
months,  but  furnish  sufficient  exercise  to  do  all  the  stimulating  needed. 

Cholera. 

Cholera  is  a  disease  of  fowls,  attacking  all  parts  of  the  body,  but 
especially  manifesting  itself  upon  the  mucous  lining  of  the  intestines. 
It  is  a  germ  disease,  easily  carried  from  place  to  place,  passing  from 
bird  to  bird  with  the  slightest  exposure.  Cholera  varies  in  intensity 
in  different  seasons,  sections  and  countries.  The  cases  reported  and 
described  in  this  country  are  not  so  severe  as  those  told  us  as  occurring 
in  Great  Britain.  While  the  disease  is  to  be  dreaded,  and  is  fatal 
enough,  we  are  fortunate  in  not  having  to  handle  it  in  the  true  Asiatic 
type. 

You  will  call  to  mind  the  emphasis  I  have  always  laid  upon  the 
part  filth  plays  in  disease.  Cholera  is  a  prominent  example  of  this 
truth.  There  is  something  about  the  good  breeding  ground  that  filth 
offers  that  is  favorable  to  the  beginning  of  cholera.  Just  where  the  germ 
hides  itself  away,  awaiting  the  right  conditions,  no  one  yet  knows,  but 
many  cases  have  been  reported  as  occurring  under  such  circumstances 
as  to  rule  out  all  reasonable  doubt  as  to  their  having  been  introduced 
from  without.  On  the  other  hand,  given  the  uncleaned  poultry  house 
and  bringing  the  disease,  no  matter  how  mild  it  may  have  been,  from 
without,  it  will  take  on  a  severe  type  and  prove  very  fatal. 

It  is  also  true  that  healthy  birds  easily  contract  cholera.  Clean 
houses,  good  care  and  food  are  no  protection  from  this  disease.     The 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  39 

adding  of  a  single  bird  sick  with  cliolera  to  the  plant,  or  bringing  in  in 
any  way  the  discharge  from  sick  birds,  is  enough  to  keep  the  owner  busy 
burying  birds  for  a  long  time.  There  is  danger  of  introducing  the  dis- 
ease if  there  is  any  passing  between  an  infected  plant  and  a  healthy 
one.  This  danger  is  largely  due  to  droppings  from  sick  birds  being 
carried  by  the  shoes  from  place  to  place. 

Cholera  knows  no  breed.  The  sluggish  Cochin  and  the  active  Leg- 
horn show  no  difference  in  susceptibility  to  this  dread  disease.  Chicks 
and  adult  fowls  are  alike  fair  prey  to  this  trouble. 

Temperature  is  a  factor  in  spreading,  as  well  as  in  controlling, 
cholera.  Warm,  damp  days  are  favorable  to  the  increase  of  an  epi- 
demic; while  a  continued  freeze  often  holds  in  check  an  outbreak  of 
cholera.  Cholera  shows  itself  in  the  wet  days  of  autumn  or  early 
spring,  rather  than  in  midwinter. 

Knowing  the  danger  existing  from  infested  flocks,  take  pains  to 
avoid  neighbor's  sick  birds.  It  is  not  hard  to  keep  out  disease,  but 
when  once  introduced,  cholera  and  roup  must  be  foug'ht  long  and  hard. 
In  no  better  way  will  the  little  house  of  detention  prove  its  worth  than 
in  keeping  out  roup  and  cholera. 

Prevention  is  more  satisfactory  than  medicine.  In  fact,  unless  you 
early  recognize  the  trouble  you  have  to  contend  with,  you  stand  little 
chance  of  curing  the  birds.  Cholera  runs  so  rapid  a  course  that  there 
is  short  time  to  do  any  active  medication.  Your  bird  may  look  well  in 
the  morning,  be  sick  at  night,  and  dead  the  next  day. 

The  first  symptom  is  a  slight,  watery  diarrhea,  lacking  in  color  as 
the  hours  go  by.  "With  this  the  bird  is  sluggish  and  not  easily  moved 
by  any  motion  of  the  owner.  It  is  inclined  to  remain  standing  wher- 
ever it  may  be;  often  gets  into  a  corner  and  stands  in  the  sun  with  its 
tail  drooped.  There  is  a  look  of  disarray  to  the  feathers,  a  roughness  in 
the  appearance  of  the  plumage;  and  the  fluff  below  the  vent  is  wet  with 
diarrheal  discharge,  if  indeed  it  is  not  stuck  together.  There  is  a  gen- 
eral let-down  to  the  muscular  system,  the  wings  drooping,  head  carried 
low,  and  even  the  eye-lids  half  closed. 

There  is  no  desire  for  food,  but  the  'bird  is  decidedly  thirsty.  The 
■desire  for  water  is  offset  by  the  sluggishness  of  the  bird,  and  it  may  be 
seen  starting  for  the  water  dish,  then  stopping  to  wait  on  the  way.  The 
first  discharge  from  the  bowels  is  thick  from  the  usual  contents  of  the 
intestines,  but  as  the  bowels  become  empty  the  discharge  gets  less  solid 
and  quite  watery.  As  the  inflammation  of  the  bowel  lining  increases 
there  appear  slight  bloody  streaks  in  the  discharge,  and  this  may  in- 
crease until  the  flow  is  nearly  pure  blood. 

Severe  cases  show  some  irritation  of  the  throat  and  nostrils,  a 
slight  discharge  appearing  in  mouth  and  eyes.  At  the  end  of  the  flrst 
day  you  may  expect  to  flnd  the  bird  decidedly  weak.  The  comb  gets 
darker  than  in  health,  passing  from  red  to  purple  as  the  disease  pro- 
gresses. Hill,  in  his  book,  "Diseases  of  Poultry,"  gives  the  best  descrip- 
tion of  the  post-mortem  appearance  of  this  disease  as  follows:     "Lin- 


40  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

in'g  membrane  of  the  mouth  livid,  except  toward  the  outside,  which  was 
pale;  throat  purple  and  full  of  sticky,  dirty  yellowish  matter;  tip  of 
tongue  hardened  and  partly  detached;  eyes  sunk  deep  into  the  sockets; 
eyelids  emphysematous  or  swollen;  gizzard  empty,  except  a  little  gravel 
and  thin,  acid  fluid;  muscular  substance  of  a  deep  red  color;  intestines 
extensively  inflamed,  with  extravasated  blood  patches  under  the  mucous 
membrane,  and  here  and  there  corrosions.  The  matter  contained  in  the 
intestines  was  of  a  dirty,  thin,  ichorous,  acrid  nature;  liver  deeply  con- 
gested and  increased  in  volume;  lungs  slightly  congested  and  pleuritic 
exudation;  heart  purplish-red  and  studded  with  ecchymose  or  extra- 
vasated blood  spots;  pericardium  contained  an  excessive  amount  of 
straw  colored  fluid." 

The  treatment  of  such  a  disease  as  cholera,  running  so  rapid  a 
course  and  with  such  violence,  must  be  prompt  and  active.  To  wait  a 
few  days  to  see  whether  any  more  birds  take  the  trouble,  is  giving  your- 
self a  hard,  discouraging  season  in  which  to  get  rid  of  the  last  case. 
The  man  who  is  quick  to  see  any  change  in  appearance  of  his  hens  will 
early  note  danger  in  the  first  few  hours  of  cholera.  At  the  first  sug- 
gestion of  a  possible  cholera  case  quarantine  all  doubtful  birds;  at  once 
scald  or  bake  every  drinking  dish;  scald  all  food  utensils,  and  clean  up 
every  house.  In  other  words,  destroy  every  lurking  germ  that  can  cause 
future  trouble.  If  the  sick  birds  can  be  kept  by  themselves  so  much  the 
better. 

Add  to  each  quart  of  drinking  water  for  the  sick  birds  spirits  of 
camphor,  one  teaspoonful,  and  one-fourth  ounce  of  sulpho-carbolate  of 
zinc.  The  sulpho-carbolate  of  zinc  should  be  white  in  color.  The  more 
red  it  shows  the  more  impure  and  irritating  it  is.  Much  of  the  sulpho- 
carbolate  offered  is  not  white  and  should  be  avoided  for  internal  use. 
You  will  notice  that  this  salt  of  zinc  is  often  suggested  by  me.  I  get 
much,  satisfaction  from  it  as  an  internal  antiseptic.  For  drinking  water 
for  the  apparently  well  birds,  add  to  every  quart,  one-eighth  ounce  sul- 
pho-carbolate of  zinc. 

If  the  diarrhea  is  excessive  give  a  pill  of  "Dover's  Powder,"  one 
grain  every  two  hours  until  the  discharge  lessens.  The  opium  in  the 
pill  relieves  pain  and  quiets  the  muscular  action  of  the  bowels.  The 
diet  question  is  difficult  to  solve.  Anything  bulky  is  out  of  the  ques- 
tion, if  indeed  the  bird  does  not  directly  solve  this  by  refusing  to  eat 
at  all.  Highly  concentrated  food  is  needed  to  sustain  life;  something 
easily  digested,  and  this  requirement  is  best  found  in  meat  juice.  One 
tablespoonful,  every  four  hours,  given  by  means  of  a  spoon  or  glass 
dropping  tube,  will  help  the  case.  The  meat  juice  is  prepared  by  half 
cooking  steak,  squeezing  the  liquid  out  and  adding  a  little  salt  and 
pepper. 

The  treatment  of  cholera  is  not  satisfactory  in  results.  If  you  suc- 
ceed in  curing  more  than  one-half  of  your  birds,  you  may  well  doubt 
the  presence  of  that  disease,  and  may  make  up  your  mind  that  the 
trouble  is  simple  diarrhea,  enteritis  or  indigestion. 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  41 

The  successful  plan  of  handling  cholera  is  prevention,  rather  than 
the  time  and  labor  needed  to  doctor  sick  birds. 

Dysentery. 

This  may  be  a  neglected  diarrhea  running  on  into  a  deep  inflamma- 
tion, or  it  may  be  a  disease  of  itself  originating  from  some  filthy  con- 
dition of  the  poultry  plant.  At  any  rate,  poor  care  always  enters  into 
this  disease.  It  may  be  from  wrong  ideas  of  what  is  needed  to  keep 
healthy  birds,  or  from  allowing  the  disease  to  be  introduced  through 
outside  birds.  Filthy  water  or  foul  floors  are  likely  to  spread  dysentery, 
if  indeed  they  are  not  the  direct  cause  of  it.  Dysentery  always  is 
accompanied  by  a  looseness  of  the  bowels.  The  discharge  is  thin,  often 
watery,  with  more  or  less  blood,  according  to  the  severity  of  the  dis- 
ease. The  bird  early  shows  weakness  of  the  muscular  system,  and  is 
soon  "off  its  feed." 

This  disease  is  not  highly  infectious,  but  there  is  much  danger  if 
the  plant  is  not  well  cleaned  up  at  the  very  beginning  of  the  outbreak. 
There  is  danger  enough  to  call  for  the  division  of  the  flock  into  well  and 
sick  birds.     The  disease  seems  to  spread  by  means  of  the  droppings. 

All  suspected,  as  well  as  all  decidedly  sick  birds,  should  have  an 
ihtestinal  disinfectant  given  in  the  drinking  water  Here  we  find 
another  use  for  the  sulpho-carbolate  of  zinc,  or  for  a  combination  of 
the  sulpho-carbolates  of  zinc,  soda  and  lime.  One  ounce  of  the  zinc,  or 
of  the  combination,  added  to  two  quarts  of  boiled  water,  should  be  the 
only  drink  for  four  days.  The  best  results  will  be  obtained  by  placing 
this  drink  before  the  birds,  for  ten  minutes  at  a  time,  soon  before  feed- 
ing, four  times  a  day.  If  the  discharge  is  decidedly  bloody  a  pill  of 
Dover's  Powder  of  one  grain  can  be  administered  in  a  little  mash  twice 
a  day.  If  there  seems  to  be  much  pain,  give  three  doses  of  the  Dover's 
Powder  per  day. 

The  diet  of  all  the  birds,  sick  and  well,  ought  to  be  non-irritating  for 
a  few  days.  Feed  lightly  of  the  coarser  parts  of  the  wheat,  giving  mid- 
dlings rather  than  bran,  making  at  least  one-third  the  mash  of 
clover  hay,  thoroughly  cooked.  Feed  wheat  rather  th^n  corn  for  a 
week,  supplying  grit  in  abundance.  If  possible  let  all  drinking  water 
used  for  a  month  be  first  boiled.  Clean  all  dishes  often  and  keep  all 
droppings  out  of  them. 

In  uncleaned  brooders  there  sometimes  develops  a  condition  resem- 
bling dysentery,  a  condition  to  be  removed  by  keeping  the  chicks'  sur- 
roundings in  a  correct  way.  Winter  chicks  are  especially  prone  to 
bowel  trouble,  and  if  fed  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  the  little  ones  eat 
off  the  wet  floor  they  are  likely  to  be  good  subjects  for  dysentery  or 
enteritis. 

Dropsy. 

This  is  a  disease  of  the  abdomen,  or  it  may  be  a  symptom  of  disease 
in  some  other  part  of  the  body.  There  is  always  a  collection  of  water 
or  serum  to  be  found  in  or  between  the  tissues  of  this  section  of  the 


42  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

bird.  Anaemic  chicks  sometimes  develop  dropsy  as  the  result  of  filthy- 
surroundings  or  incorrect  feeding.  The  dropsy  is  secondary  to  the 
anaemia. 

Old  birds  may  have  this  same  condition  as  the  result  of  poor  sur- 
roundings or  care,  or  it  may  result  because  of  obstruction  to  blood  flow 
from  diseased  organs,  or  from  the  pressure  of  tumors. 

Tonics,  such  as  tincture  of  nux  vomica,  one  teaspoonful  to  two 
quarts  water,  or  arsenate  of  iron  one  grain  to  one  quart  water,  used  as 
drink  for  the  sick  birds,  will  help  improve  the  general  health  of  the 
fowls  and  sometimes  this  is  followed  by  the  disappearance  of  the  dropsy. 
With  tonics,  good  food,  dry,  sunny  houses,  clean  yards  and  houses,  you 
may  look  for  improvement. 

If  the  collection  of  fluid  is  large  it  will  be  well  to  insert  a  hollow 
needle,  first  boiling  it  in  water,  through  the  tense  skin,  letting  much  of 
the  liquid  run  out.  Follow  this  by  giving  in  the  drinking  water  one 
ta;blespoonful  sulphate  magnesia  to  each  quart,  and  keep  this  up  for  a 
week,  or  until  you  see  a  change  for  the  better.  When  this  improvement 
begins,  change  from  magnesia  to  iodide  of  potassium,  twenty  grains  to 
each  quart  drinking  water. 

Birds  that  have  had  dropsy  are  to  be  ruled  out  for  breeders.  Birds 
that  have  a  history  of  sickness  of  any  form  are  to  be  viewed  with  sus- 
picion, for  egg  yielders  as  well  as  breeders.  Flocks  that  seem  to  have 
a  tendency  toward  certain  diseases  are  poor  property,  and  should  De 
put  one  side  and  a  fresh  start  taken,  or  fresh  blood  should  be  promptly 
introduced. 

The  Lungs. 

The  diseases  of  the  lungs  are  bronchitis,  pneumonia,  consumption 
and  tuberculosis.  Of  these,  bronchitis  may  be  either  acute  or  chronic; 
pneumonia  is  acute,  consumption  and  tuberculosis  chronic.  These  dis- 
eases are  not  easily  given  one  to  another,  but  there  is  danger  enough  to 
make  it  desirable  to  keep  all  sick  birds  away  from  well  ones.  Bron- 
chitis is  limited  to  the  lining  membrane  of  the  bronchial  tubes,  pneu- 
monia to  the  air  cells,  consumption  to  the  substance  of  the  lung  tissue, 
tuberculosis  to  all  parts  of  the  lungs. 

Bronchitis. 

While  catarrh  is  an  inflammation  of  the  lining  of  the  nostrils,  bron- 
chitis is  limited  to  a  like  surface  of  the  breathing  tubes.  Bronchitis 
may  be  as  mild  as  a  simple  catarrh  or  as  severe  as  the  worst  attack  of 
roup.  We  see  all  grades  of  severity,  from  a  common  "cold"  to  a  suffo- 
cating catarrh  dangerous  to  life.  There  is  always  plenty  of  germ  life 
to  be  found  in  the  mucous  discharge,  but  we  are  not  sure  whether  the 
germs  are  the  cause  or  the  accompaniment  of  the  disease. 

Bronchitis  is  caused  by  exposure  to  storms,  espcially  when  the  birds 
are  housed  in  too  close  or  too  warm  a  building;  by  sudden  atmospheric 
changes;  by  direct  currents  of  cold  air;  by  irritating  particles  of  dust  or 
lime;  or  by  the  spreading  of  inflammation  from  diseased  throat  or 
nostrils. 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  43 

Bronchitis  is  not  so  often  seen  in  young  chicks  as  is  diarrhea;  there 
seems  to  be  a  tendency  toward  bowel  rather  than  lung  trouble  during 
the  early  months  of  the  bird's  life.  Bronchitis  in  chicks  is  commonly 
caused  by  exposure  to  rain;  by  sudden  extremes  of  temperature  due  to 
over-heated  brooders  and  cold  brooder  houses;  or  by  close,  foul  air.  I 
am  of  the  opinion  that  more  cases  of  catarrh  and  bronchitis  are  due 
to  bad  air  than  to  all  other  causes.  Bad  air  is  filthy  air,  and  filth  is  a 
prominent  factor  in  the  causation  of  disease.  Foul  air  lowers  the  vital- 
ity, diminishes  resistance  to  disease,  and  furnishes  good  conditions  for 
trouble.  The  close,  uncleaned  hen  house,  or  the  unventilated  brooder, 
•alike,  are  the  unsuspected  cause  of  many  troubles. 

There  is  little  danger  from  bronchitis  after  the  chicks  pass  out  of 
the  brooder,  until  late  fall,  when  the  birds  are  often  caught  out  in  the 
roosting  coops  by  some  storm,  or  are  transferred  from  the  airy  summer 
coops  to  some  crowded,  close  house. 

Birds  sent  on  the  train  to  an  exhibition  or  to  some  new  owner,  stand 
^a  chance  of  developing  bronchitis.  The  hot  show  room  and  warm  cor- 
ner of  the  express  car,  are  likely  to  be  succeeded  in  winter  by  exposure 
to  a  low  temperature  that  is  dangerous. 

Birds  that  have  a  history  of  roup  in  previous  months,  or  birds 
descending  from  stock  with  a  record  of  cured  roup,  seem  to  be  fit  sub- 
jects for  catarrhal  diseases,  and  no  one  is  more  likely  to  appear  than 
bronchitis. 

I  have  known  air-slaked  lime  to  so  irritate  the  mucous  surfaces  as 
to  produce  what  resembled  an  ordinary  bronchitis.  The  droppings 
boards  were  freely  dusted  with  the  lime  while  the  birds  were  confined  to 
a  closed  house.  There  seems  no  reason  for  the  use  of  air-slaked  lime 
about  poultry  buildings.  Ground  plaster  and  dry  earth  are  so  much 
better  and  cheaper  that  they  should  always  be  used,  and  this  source 
of  danger  be  avoided. 

Unless  you  are  looking  for  the  outbreak  of  this  disease  it  will  have 
got  a  start  of  one  to  three  days  before  the  bird  appears  to  be  really  sick. 
There  is  from  the  first,  some  rise  of  temperature  and  a  little  difficulty 
in  breathing.  The  lining  of  the  bronchial  passages  are  dry  and  swollen, 
hindering  the  passing  in  and  out  of  air.  At  the  end  of  the  second  day 
the  bird  is  quite  thirsty  and  is  a  constant  visitor  at  the  water  dish. 
There  is  not  a  decided  cough,  but  the  noise  made  is  more  of  a  whistling 
character.  It  is  not  often  to  be  heard  at  any  distance  from  the  bird, 
and  may  require  the  putting  of  your  ear  to  the  side  of  the  bird,  to  make 
out  the  peculiar  sound.  As  the  disease  progresses  there  is  more  and 
more  mucous  poured  out,  disturbing  the  action  of  the  lungs,  and  chang- 
ing the  noise  from  whistling  to  rattling  . 

Chronic  bronchitis  may  arise  from  the  passing  of  an  acute  case  into 
the  chronic  form,  or  it  may  be  simply  slow  and  light  from  the  begin- 
ning. The  chronic  form  is  not  unknown  to  any  breeder  of  a  few  years' 
experience.  These  cases  often  seem  to  be  well  birds  except  for  the  rat- 
tling in  breathing.    We  dislike,  however,  to  hear  this  noise,  and  it  is 


44  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

always  a  source  of  danger  to  have  even  a  local  disease  on  hand.  Chronic 
bronchitis  responds  fairly  well  to  medication  and  any  one  of  us  is 
willing  to  take  a  little  trouble  to  cure  it. 

If  you  have  a  case  of  bronchitis  on  hand,  and  suspect  that  others 
are  developing  the  disease,  be  prompt  to  attempt  aborting  the  sick- 
ness. Aconite  will  do  this  in  a  large  proportion  of  cases.  I  prefer  acon- 
nitine  to  the  tincture  for  quick  and  sure  results,  but  it  is  not  to  be 
bought  outside  the  large  cities,  and  even  there  is  not  always  to  be  had 
in  convenient  form  for  use.  I  have  obtained  such  sure  results  froni  the 
use  of  the  alkaloid  (aconitine)  in  my  own  practice  that  long  ago  I 
put  on  one  side  the  tincture.  A  good  tincture  should  be  given  in  drop 
doses  to  each  bird,  every  two  hours.  There  is  no  better  way  than  to 
mix  as  many  drops  as  you  are  to  feed  birds,  with  a  little  mash  and  give 
in  such  dishes  as  to  let  each  bird  have  its  proportion.  One  day's  treat- 
ment persisted  in  will  abort  nine-tenths  of  the  cases.  Feed  a  hot  mash 
of  at  least  one-half  bran,  and  keep  all  birds  in  as  even  temperature  as 
possible. 

The  chronic  cases,  known  by  the  marked  rattling  in  breathing  when 
on  the  roost  at  night,  require  a  course  of  tonic  treatment.  The  combi- 
nation of  the  arsenates  of  iron,  strychnine  and  quinine,  known  as 
"Dumas'  Anti-malarial  Pill,"  was  introduced  by  me  to  the  poultry  world 
five  years  ago,  for  the  cure  of  chronic  bronchitis.  It  has  done  good 
service. 

This  pill,  containing  iron,  strychnine  and  quinine,  should  be  given 
in  a  little  bit  of  mash,  morning  and  night.  Quite  often  the  only  ease  of 
chronic  bronchitis  on  hand  will  be  one  of  the  best  males,  and  it  annoys 
me  to  have  the  head  of  a  pen  sick  in  any  way.  These  cases  are  more 
disagreeable  than  dangerous.  A  little  better  feeding  of  easily  digested 
food  should  be  given   these  chronic  cases. 

Pneumonia. 

Pneumonia  is  a  catarrhal  inflammation  of  the  lining  of  the  air  cell 
of  the  lungs.  It  is  a  serious  disease,  often  unrecognized  during  life, 
and  proving  fatal  in  a  large  proportion  of  cases.  The  more  we  have  to 
do  with  this  disease,  the  more  sure  we  are  that  it  is  somewhat  infectious. 
It  pursues  so  peculiar  a  course  in  many  instances  that  we  cannot  think 
otherwise  than  that  a  single  case  on  a  poultry  plant  is  of  danger  to  all 
the  other  birds. 

Pneumonia  arises  under  various  conditions  and  circumstances.  It 
sometimes  appears  in  a  flock  that  has  been  shut  in  a  tight  house,  in 
close  air  and  damp  floors,  and  then  let  out  one  day  into  the  cold  zero 
weather  of  our  northern  states.  Chicks  and  fowls  alike  suffer  from 
pneumonia  when  kept  on  the  '"hot  house"  plan.  All  ages,  except  under 
three  weeks,  require  the  daily  exhilaration  to  be  obtained  only  by  expos- 
ure to  the  fresh  air.  The  moment  you  begin  to  baby  a  bird  you  are  com- 
mencing a  process  that  is  dangerous  to  health.  There  is  life,  vitality 
and  profit  in  the  reaction  that  comes  from  breathing  pure  air.  It  takes 
extra   good   judgment   to   ventilate   the  long,   tight  front  houses,    and 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  45 

the  steam-warmed  brooder  houses,  and  many  a  plant  has  failed  in  the 
attempt.  The  scratching  houses  have  helped  solve  the  question  for  adult 
birds.  Along  this  same  line  we  must  raise  our  broilers  if  we  wish  to 
avoid  a  high  death  rate.  Close,  damp  air  always  is  a  source  of  trouble 
to  birds  of  any  age.  There  is  very  little  sickness  to  be  seen  in  the 
scratching  shed  house,  and  in  my  own  "Peep-o'-Day"  houses  I  have 
never  had  a  sick  bird.  If  we  make  our  birds  scratch  for  part  of  their 
living  and  give  them  plenty  of  protected  fresh  air  room,  we  shall  sel- 
dom have  a  case  af  pneumonia  arise  in  our  flock.  Last  winter  when  the 
thermometer  hung  near  zero  for  a  week  my  Wyandottes  continued  to 
work  and  lay,  even  though  the  doors  between  scratching  and  roosting 
rooms  of  my  "Peep-o'-Day"  houses  were  never  tightly  closed.  I  do  not 
advise  this  exposure  for  the  tall  combed  birds,  but  Wyandottes  and  Ply- 
mouth Rocks  will  do  their  best  if  treated  in  the  manner  stated.  Do  you 
know  how  this  life  of  exposure  affects  the  soldier  on  the  plains?  No 
matter  what  the  weather  so  long  as  the  tent  life  is  continued  there  is 
little  sickness.  But  transfer  the  men  to  the  red-hot  stoved  warmed 
barracks  and  you  soon  get  influenzas  and  pneumonias. 

Very  young  chicks,  dragged  out  into  the  pouring  rain  by  the  active 
hen,  often  become  chilled  and  develop  a  low  grade  of  pneumonia.  These 
cases  seldom  recover  and  those  that  do  are  poor  stunted  chicks.  Study 
and  practice  prevention  and  let  our  failures  only  lead  to  renewed 
efforts  to  have  healthy  stock. 

Chicks  with  well  developed  pneumonia  show  no  sure  sign  of  the  dis- 
ease. Most  of  them  are  without  appetite,  breathe  rapidly,  and  move 
about  little  if  any. 

Adult  birds  show  the  rapid  (panting)  breathing,  dullness  in  appear- 
ance, sluggish  movements,  and  loss  of  appetite.  In  fact,  the  full  pow- 
ers of  th.3  bird  are  put  forth  in  the  effort  to  get  air  enough  to  sustain 
life.  If  you  put  your  ear  over  the  chest  wall  and  listen  carefully  you 
will  get  a  peculiar  sound  that  is  crackling  or  snapping  in  character.  In 
a  short  time  the  bird  may  be  seen  standing  in  a  corner,  in  a  listless  state, 
wings  drooping  and  a  relaxed  condition  of  all  muscles  except  those  used 
in  breathing.  '  ,- 

The  ti-eatment  of  this  disease  must  be  prompt  and  active.  To  wait 
a  few  days  or  to  be  afraid  to  use  good  sized  doses  is  to  lose  the  bird.  The 
disease  is  sudden,  rapid  in  its  course,  and  dangerous  to  life.  Hence  be 
quick  to  see  the  first  appearance  of  any  sign  of  pneumonia  and  meet  the 
indications. 

If  you  can  arrange  it  conveniently,  place  the  birds  in  coops  in  a 
room  that  can  be  warmed  to  seventy  degrees  of  temperature,  with  some 
plan  of  furnishing  moisture.  If  the  room  be  otherwise  dry  and  sunny, 
with  heat  enough  to  allow  for  ventilation,  you  will  get  better  results. 
Let  the  food  for  a  week  be  little  besides  raw  eggs,  milk  and  beef  juice. 
This  may  be  given  with  bran,  as  a  hot  mash,  or  it  very  likely  will  have 
to  be  put  into  the  throat  by  means  of  a  dropping  tube.     If  the  bird  is 


46  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

willing  to  eat,  let  him;   if  he  cannot,  you  must  give  him  food  or  he  is 
likely  to  die. 

Among  the  remedies  in  common  use  are  two  that  you  must  avoid, 
and  these  are  quinine  and  liquor.  They  will  do  more  harm  than  good, 
and  should  not  be  used  in  acute  troubles.  Quinine  is  always  to  be 
avoided  in  any  acute  inflammation  of  the  chest.  In  small  doses,  as  a 
tonic,  it  is  good  in  chronic  diseases  of  the  birds. 

There  is  no  single  remedy  for  pneumonia  better  than  aconitine,  early 
administered  and  given  in  sure  doses.  The  tincture,  if  reliable,  will 
give  as  good  results.  The  trouble  in  giving  medicine  to  a  bird  is  to  be 
sure  that  he  is  getting  the  right  amount  in  the  right  way.  One  drop  of 
the  tincture,  or  one-fifteen-hundredth  of  a  grain  (1-1500)  of  the  amor- 
phous aconitine,  every  two  hours,  during  daylight,  will  do  something 
toward  bringing  the  bird  through  the  sickness.  The  small  dose,  often 
repeated,  will  give  results  that  are  not  obtained  when  giving  large  doses 
twice  a  day.  Make  a  few  pills  of  mash  and  sulpho-carbolate  of  zinc, 
one  grain  of  the  zinc  in  each  pill,  and  make  the  bird  swallow  one  morn- 
ing and  night.  The  liquid  medicines  can  be  given  in  a  little  water  from 
a  spoon,  or  dropped  from  a  tube,  or  mixed  with  mash  if  the  bird 
swallows. 

Consumption. 

It  is  too  bad  to  be  obliged  to  consider  consumption  and  tuberculosis 
together,  but  in  presenting  the  subject  to  a  lay  audience  they  must  b 
kept  close  in  their  relation  to  each  other. 

There  is  a  similarity  in  these  diseases.  They  present  certain  symp- 
toms in  common.  They  are  widely  different  in  others.  Consumption 
is  likely  to  have  followed  a  badly  cared  for  case  of  pneumonia,  bron- 
chitis or  roup.  Tuberculosis  is  always  preceded  by  a  previous  case. 
Neither  disease  is  likely  to  appear  in  well  cared  for,  sturdy  birds.  It 
seems  necessary  to  have  the  proper  soil  before  either  disease  sends  deep- 
ly its  roots.  Neither  disease  is  inherited,  but  birds  from  weak  ancestors 
fall  a  ready  prey  if  the  right  conditions  are  presented. 

Birds  kept  in  a  way  favorable  to  roup  are  quite  likely  to  present  a 
few  cases  of  consumption.  Anything  in  housing,  feed  or  care,  that  tends 
toward  lowered  vitality  is  a  factor  in  these  troubles.  There  is  no  better 
way  to  avoid  consumption  and  tuberculosis  than  to  keep  strong,  sturdy 
stock.  Careless,  persistent,  inbreeding  leads  to  a  dangerous  tendency 
to  disease. 

Tuberculous  cattle,  and  persons,  too,  are  to  be  viewed  with  suspicion 
and  avoided  whenever  possible.  The  danger  is  small,  to  be  sure,  but 
enough  to  call  for  good  care  in  preventing  the  beginnings  of  trouble. 
The  better  the  general  condition  of  your  birds,  the  less  danger  there  is 
of  consumption  or  tuberculosis  appearing  in  your  flock. 

There  is  much  satisfaction  in  having  birds  so  well  that  disease  finds 
poor  soil  for  chronic  troubles.  Breeding  birds  should  always  be  up  to 
the  highest  standard  of  health.     The  crossing  of  birds  with  a  tendency 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  47 

toward  lung  disease  is  a  dangerous  plan  and  is  followed  by  many  mis- 
haps. 

Consumption  is  a  disease  limited  to  the  lung  tissue,  hut  in  a  small 
proportion  of  cases  is  accompanied  by  a  fetid  diarrhea.  It  is  likely  to 
have  been  preceded  by  either  roup,  bronchitis  or  pneumonia.  The  early 
symptom  is  not  one  that  would  call  your  attention  to  the  seat  of  the 
disease.  It  is  simple  weakness  , apparently  without  cause.  Perhaps  in 
a  week's  time  there  appears  some  slight  trouble  in  breathing,  a  little 
shortness  of  breath  on  exercising,  or  some  roughness  of  respiration 
when  on  the  roost  at  night.  There  is  no  real  cough.  The  irritation  pro- 
duces a  changed  jerky  breathing  that  must  be  heard  to  be  known.  It 
makes  you  wonder  whether  there  is  not  some  foreign  body  in  the  nasal 
passage  that  obstructs  the  movement  of  the  air.  As  weeks  and  months 
go  by,  the  bird  stops  laying,  becomes  thin  and  light,  more  and  more  pale 
in  comb  and  wattles.  Indigestion  increases,  the  food  passing  from  the 
bowels  in  much  the  same  state  as  when  swallowed.  Left  to  take  its  own 
course,  the  birds  finally  dies,  thin,  light  in  weight,  and  pale  in  color  of 
skin.  Any  bird  in  this  or  any  similar  condition  ought  not  to  be  allowed 
to  live  out  its  days.  The  early  use  of  the  hatchet  prevents  the  waste 
of  time  and  food,  as  well  as  reducing  the  danger  to  the  well  members  of 
the  place. 

Tuberculosis. 

Tuberculosis  is  a  disease  more  rapid  and  intense  than  consumption. 
Consumption  has  little  increase  of  temperature,  while  tuberculosis  has  a 
persistent  rise  of  bodily  heat.  Tuberculous  birds  present  a  constant 
decrease  in  weight  and  the  difficulty  in  breathing  is  quite  manifest.  In 
connection  with  every  case  of  tuberculosis  there  is  to  be  found  at  work 
as  a  factor  in  the  disease  a  germ — bacilus — and  this  germ  must  be  pres- 
ent to  confirm  the  diagnosis.  There  have  appeared  cases  enough  of 
tuberculosis  in  poultry  yards,  apparently  contracted  from  sick  cows,  to 
warrant  our  being  on  the  watch  for  all  sources  of  possible  trouble.  Even 
a  case  of  a  single  bird  "going  light"  should  be  quarantined  as  a  possible 
source  of  future  trouble. 

Suppose  you  find  you  have  a  case  on  hand  resembling  the  trouble 
we  have  under  consideration.  Your  best  plan  will  be  to  kill  and  burn 
the  sick  bird.  It  is  not  safe  to  depend  upon  burying  the  bird.  It  may  get 
exposed  through  the  efforts  of  some  dogs  and  become  an  object  of  dan- 
ger. The  sick  birds  disposed  of,  then  turn  your  attention  to  the  protec- 
tion of  the  well  members  of  the  flock.  Clean  out  at  once  all  litter  from 
the  houses  and  yards.  Take  off  a  thin  layer  of  soil  from  the  earth  floors 
of  pens  and  a  little  from  the  bare  yards  near  the  houses.  Brush  up  the 
inside  of  all  buildings  and  remove  all  dust  and  cobwebs  from  the  win- 
dows. Whitewash  in  a  thorough  manner  the  woodwork  of  the  build- 
ings, not  forgetting  the  roosts  and  droppings  boards.  Last  of  all  scald 
every  drinking  and  feed  vessel. 

Birds  healthy  from  the  start,  well  fed,  given  plenty  of  fresh  air  and 
sunshine,  not  crowded,  do  not  easily  contract  tuberculosis,  even  though 


48  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

they  may  come  in  contact  with  it.  There  must  be  a  lowered  condition 
of  vitality  in  the  bird  to  enable  the  germ  of  tuberculosis  to  find  a  suit- 
able soil  in  which  to  grow.  If  this  disease  ever  gets  under  headway  in 
your  poultry  yards,  you  have  only  to  blame  yourself  for  the  discour- 
aging outlook  before  you. 

If  you  have  the  time  and  inclination  to  doctor  some  of  the  cases 
in  the  beginning  of  the  disease,  you  will  find  the  use  of  good  tonics 
and  cod  liver  oil  to  give  fair  results  in  a  small  proportion  of  the  sick 
birds.  The  chances  are  about  equal,  however,  that  you  have  had  indi- 
gestion to  contend  with  rather  than  real  tuberculosis.  Birds  that  are 
really  tuberculous  seldom  are  cured  by  any  treatment.  Any  good  emul- 
sion of  cod  liver  oil  mixed  with  the  mash  will  help  nourish  the  bird.  For 
a  tonic  there  is  nothing  better  than  the  arsenate  of  iron  in  pill  form, 
1-50  grain  each,  twice  a  day.  If  the  breathing  is  at  all  bad  the  use  of  the 
syrup  of  hydriodic  acid,  five  drops  three  times  a  day  in  mash,  will  do 
much  to  relieve  the  condition. 

A  poultryman  who  has  on  hand  several  cases  cf  tuberculosis  ought 
to  stop  at  once  the  shipping  of  birds  for  breeding,  and  eggs  for  hatching. 
He  has  no  right  to  impose  upon  some  one  else  stock  that  is  doubtful  if 
not  dangerous. 

Six  years  ago,  in  an  article  in  "Poultry,"  an  English  paper  of  good 
repute,  J.  Woodroffe  Hill  put  himself  on  record  as  follows: 

"The  broadest  fact  established  regarding  the  exciting  cause  of  tuber- 
culous deposit  is  that  the  domesticated  animal  is  more  liable  to  tuber- 
cular disease  than  the  same  animal  in  a  wild  state.  The  staibled  cow, 
the  penned  sheep,  the  tamed  rabbit,  the  monkey,  the  caged  lion,  tiger  or 
elephant,  are  almost  invariably  cut  off  by  tuberculous  affections,  no 
doubt  due  to  deficient  ventilation,  and  the  abeyance  of  normal  exercise 
of  the  pulmonary  functions.  Compare  the  ordinary  barnyard  fowl  with 
the  highly  bred  show  bird  as  to  vigor,  stamina  and  freedom  from  heredi- 
tary disease,  and  the  former,  generally  speaking,  shows  the  cleanest  bill 
of  health,  for  this  reason — it  lives  in  a  more  natural  condition,  is  not 
crammed  with  artificial  food,  or  dosed  with  quack  nostrums,  and  gets 
What  grit  it  chooses  to  find  without  being  supplied  with  any  special 
form. 

"The  ravages  of  tuberculosis  in  the  human  family  are  too  patent  to 
ignore  its  gravity  in  the  lower  creation,  and  the  poultry  fancier  will  best 
consult  his  own  interests  in  studiously  avoiding  breeding  from  or  pur- 
chasing birds  of  scrofulous  or  tuberculous  taint,  and  in  the  event  of  the 
disease  manifesting  itself,  to  dispose  of  his  stock,  thoroughly  disinfect 
his  ground,  and  after  a  sufficient  interval  import  fresh  and  pure  blood." 
The  warning  of  Prof.  Hill  is  well  worth  heeding.  At  the  same  time 
I  am  sure  that  the  same  danger  does  not  exist  here  as  in  England  as 
regards  pure  bred  poultry.  There  are  fully  as  many  sick  birds  in  farm- 
ers' flocks  as  in  the  yards  of  our  fanciers.  I  am  more  impressed  every 
season  with  the  health  and  vigor  to  be  seen  in  the  birds  sent  to  the  win- 
ter shows.     Given  your  pick  of  the  birds  at  the  early  fall  fairs  in  con- 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  49 

trast  with  the  winter  shows,  I  know  that  for  health  and  utility  you 
■would  take  the  carefully  bred  birds  of  the  fancier.  Let  us  profit  from 
the  statement  of  Prof.  Hill,  in  so  far  as  it  indicates  a  possible  danger. 

The  Liver. 

The  diseases  of  the  liver  are  too  numerous  and  too  common  to  be 
passed  by  at  this  time.  They  generally  result  from  too  good  feeding 
or  from  the  over  use  of  condiments.  Nine-tenths  of  these  liver  troubles 
are  due  to  the  giving  of  a  ration  too  rich  in  starch  elements.  The  single 
liock  on  the  village  lot  is  especially  prone  to  liver  disease  because  of  the 
large  proportion  of  bread  foods  in  the  table  waste.  Unless  you  can  con- 
trol the  feeding  of  this  waste  it  is  safer  to  depend  upon  a  mash  of  bal- 
anced ground  grain  and  meat. 

Congested  or  sluggish  liver  is  the  beginning  of  inflammation  of  the 
organ  or  may  be  a  serious  trouble  in  itself.  If  left  to  follow  its  own 
course,  with  no  change  in  diet,  the  chances  are  that  inflammation  and 
enlargement  will  follow. 

Any  trouble  with  the  other  organs  of  the  abdomen  that  obstruct  the 
circulation  of  the  blood  will  congest  the  liver.  The  persistent  feeding 
of  many  of  the  so-called  "egg  foods"  to  birds  closely  housed  and  yarded 
irritate  both  liver  and  egg  organs.  The  use  of  a  ration  in  which  pota- 
toes form  too  large  a  part  throws  so  much  work  upon  the  liver  that  in 
its  endeavor  to  perform  its  part,  it  becomes  at  first  congested,  then 
inflamed,  and  ends  in  permanent  enlargement  or  in  atrophy. 

The  early  symptoms  of  a  congested  liver  are  seldom  noticed.  There 
is  a  lack  of  color  in  comb  and  wattles  that  makes  one  wonder  what  is 
to  follow.  Usually  your  first  sign  of  trouble  is  a  watery  diarrhea,  dark 
at  first,  but  changing  in  a  few  days  to  a  yellow  cast.  The  feathers  do 
not  look  smooth  and  shiny,  but  have  a  dull,  rough  appearance.  At  this 
time  the  color  of  comb  and  wattles  has  begun  to  change  from  the  nat- 
ural hue  to  a  dark  red  or  purple,  often  getting  nearly  or  quite  black  in 
color.  The  sick  birds  show  no  appetite  for  food,  but  move  from  place 
to  place  without  ambition  to  eat  or  exercise. 

If  these  cases  are  early  noticed  and  properly  treated;  most  of  them 
will  recover  their  health.  As  the  cause  is  largely  one  of  improper  feed- 
ing, the  return  to  rational  foods  must  be  the  first  step.  If  the  mash  is 
made  as  largely  of  cut  clover  as  you  can  get  the  bird  to  take  you  will 
be  doing  well  as  a  starter.  Drop  out  much  of  the  flour  and  cornmeal. 
Better  feed  green  cut  bone  or  fresh  meat,  than  dry  meat  meal,  for  a 
month.  Give  the  birds  as  scratching  material  the  waste  from  the  hay 
mows.  If  the  cases  appear  in  warm  weather  give  the  birds  access  to  a 
clean  grass  run. 

At  the  first  appearance  of  liver  trouble  give  each  bird  a  teaspoonful 
of  castor  oil.  If  this  is  not  easy  for  you  to  do,  the  next  best  plan  will 
be  to  get  the  same  results  by  adding  one-half  teaspoonful  sulphate  mag- 
nesia to  the  drinking  water  of  each  bird.  If  the  birds  are  not  thirsty, 
you  must  give  it  from  a  spoon  or  dropping  tube.     After  a  single  dose  of 


50  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

laxative  medicine  I  should  refrain  from  further  medication  and  depend 
upon  proper  food  and  care. 

Hepatifcas  or  Inflammation. 

Hepatitas  or  inflammation  is  really  the  stage  following  congestion 
of  the  liver.  There  is  little  satisfaction  in  doctoring  cases  that  have 
been  allowed  to  drift  into  this  condition.  As  the  result  of  the  inflam- 
matory process  the  liver  tissues  are  permanently  injured.  Even  though 
the  trouble  is  brought  to  a  standstill,  the  organ  is  partially  unfit  to  carry 
on  its  needed  work.  Many  of  these  cases  of  inflammation  have  a  past 
history  of  chronic  lung  disease,  or  of  break-down  from  over-feeding. 

The  symptoms  of  this  stage  follow  those  of  congestion  of  the  liver. 
The  diarrhea  is  watery  and  yellow,  poor  appetite,  and  increased  desire 
for  water.  There  is  a  sluggish  manner  in  breathing,  suggesting  lowered 
vitality.  The  birds  show  little  inclination  to  move  about;  lose  weight 
rapidly;  becoming  little  more  than  skin  and  bones  in  the  course  of  two 
to  three  weeks. 

Treat  these  cases,  if  at  all,  by  clearing  out  the  bowels  once  with 
castor  oil  or  sulphate  of  magnesia,  following  this  by  the  use  of  tincture 
of  nux  vomica  one-fourth  teaspoonful  to  every  pint  of  drinking  water 
given  the  birds  Feed  lightly  of  heating  foods,  depending  upon  clover 
and  bran  largely  for  mash,  with  an  out-of-door  life  when  possible. 

The  Comb. 

Nearly  all  so-called  diseases  of  the  comb  come  in  connection  with 
some  other  disease  or  condition.  I  suppose  they  are  commonly  classed 
as  diseases  because  of  the  prominent  position  the  comb  symptoms 
hold.  Any  change  in  the  looks  of  comb  or  wattles  is  plain  to  the  most 
thoughtless  poultryman,  and  presents  a  sign  of  danger  if  not  showing 
the  indications  of  a  normal  bird. 

There  are  fewer  cases  of  comb  diseases  in  this  country  than  in  Great 
Britain,  owing,  I  suppose,  to  better  care  and  more  healthful  surround- 
ings. It  is  well  to  remember  that  a  change  in  the  appearance  of  the 
comb  indicates  a  disturbance  in  some  other  part  of  the  bird.  If  to  the 
comb  symptoms  are  added  similar  changes  in  wattles  and  ear-lobes,  you 
are  to  understand  that  the  case  is  all  the  more  dangerous,  and  needs 
more  careful  and  immediate  attention. 

The  comb  tells  quite  a  little  story  of  what  is  going  on  in  the  organs 
of  the  whole  body.  Its  appearance  is  as  helpful  to  the  poultry  keeper 
as  the  tongue  of  a  human  patient  is  to  the  observing  physician. 

The  normal  condition  of  the  comb  presents  that  healthy  look  that 
we  all  so  like  to  see  in  our  birds,  and  that  is  a  sign  of  good  bodily  condi- 
tion. As  poultrymen  we  may  call  that  color  "standard  red."  Any  devi- 
ation from  this  red,  whether  it  be  to  a  darker  or  to  a  lighter  hue,  is  an 
indication  of  changed  action  in  the  workings  of  the  organ,  or  to  a  change 
in  the  vitality  of  the  whole  bird.  The  light  colored  comb  shows  an  ana- 
emic state  of  the  bird,  while  the  dark  (purple)  comb  indicates  the  oppo- 
site— plethera.  One  may  be  a  sign  of  under-feeding;  the  other  that  of 
cramming  or  over-feeding. 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  51 

Fungoid. 

This  disease  attaclvs  birds  when  exposed  to  previous  cases,  and 
seems  to  break  out  also  in  flocks  that  have  been  fed  a  ration  rich  in 
ritarches.  It  is  easily  passed  from  bird  to  bird,  and  is  seen  in  its  worst 
aspect  when  the  birds  are  suffering  from  a  low  state  of  vitality. 

Fungoid  presents  indications  of  a  local  rather  than  a  general  dis- 
ease. It  seems  to  affect  only  lightly  the  workings  of  the  bodily  func- 
tions. The  full  force  of  the  disease  seems  to  show  itself  in  the  comb 
and  wattles.  The  first  indication  is  the  appearance  of  little  bunches  of 
hard  substance  under  the  skin  covering  the  wattles  and  comb,  about  the 
size  of  bird  shot,  and  feeling  to  the  touch  like  shot,  and  no  change  from 
normal  in  color  of  skin  over  the  little  swellings.  In  a  few  days  these 
shotlike  hodies  soften,  flatten  a  little,  break  through  and  discharge 
through  the  opening  in  the  skin,  a  watery,  straw  colored  fluid. 

There  may  be  a  dozen  of  the  discharging  openings.  In  a  day  or  two 
there  are  likely  to  appear  near  these  openings  or  ulcers  other  shot-like 
bodies  that  follow  the  course  of  the  flrst  lot.  Crop  after  crop  of  these 
may  appear  until  the  comb  and  wattles  are  closely  covered  with  them 
showing  various  stages  of  the  disease.  The  discharge  darkens  slightly 
as  it  diminishes  in  quantity,  drying  on  the  surface,  and  presenting  a 
disagreeable  appearance  to  the  sight.  The  dry  surface  is  itchy  to  the 
bird  and  she  is  sure  to  do  more  or  less  scratching,  causing  more  irrita- 
tion and  some  bleeding.  In  a  third  of  the  cases  the  disease  spreads  to 
the  skin  of  the  head  and  neck,  increasing  the  size  of  these  parts  and  pre- 
senting a  picture  disagreeable  to  any  lover  of  poultry. 

If  this  disease  has  been  allowed  to  grow  into  the  condition  last 
described,  little  treatment  will  avail.  The  birds  are  in  a  hopeless  state, 
with  little  prospect  of  cure.  They  are  probably  thin,  with  no  appetite, 
and  present  the  appearance  of  tired  out  birds.  Kill  and  bury  every  one 
of  the  long  continued  cases,  and  give  your  attention  to  new  cases.  The 
legs  should  be  tied  together,  yet  loose  enough  to  allow  walking,  while 
close  enough  to  prevent  any  scratching  of  the  inflamed  surfaces. 
"Wash  as  often  as  you  can  the  whole  surface  of  comb  and  wattles  with 
a  solution  of  carbolic  acid  crystals,  five  grains  to  a  pint  of  water.  This 
lessens  itching  and  diminishes  the  danger  of  the  spread  of  the  infection. 
The  food  should  be  highly  nourishing  and  fed  warm.  Of  course  every 
sick  bird  should  be  removed  from  the  flock  to  lessen  the  danger  of  expos- 
ure. This  disease,  introduced  into  a  flock  of  healthy  birds,  runs  a  more 
rapid  course  than  when  the  stock  is  low  in  vitality. 

White  Comb. 

Unlike  fungoid  that  is  not  contagious,  white  comb  depends  upon 
a  low  state  of  vitality.  The  disease  manifests  itself  in  the  same  location 
as  fungoid,  but  presents  a  different  appearance.  The  first  indication  is 
the  coming  of  little  red  or  white  points  in  the  skin  covering  both  comb 
and  wattles.  Usually  these  are  white  when  first  noticed.  The 
nearness  to  the  skin  causes  an  early  breaking  of  the  little  gatherings; 


52  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

the  contents  proving  to  be  thin,  light  colored  and  quickly  drying  on  the 
surface.  This  gives  the  parts  affected  a  scurfy,  whitish  appearance. 
The  movements  of  the  bird  loosen  the  dry  flaky  substance,  and  it 
comes  off  in  little  pieces  of  the  size  of  bran.  As  the  disease  spreads  to 
neck  and  face  the  irritation  causes  the  feathers  to  drop  out,  adding  to 
the  disagreeable  appearance.  With  the  local  symptoms  are  to  be 
noticed  a  paleness  of  all  mucous  surfaces,  and  a  suggestion  of  weakness 
in  all  motions  of  the  bird. 

White  comb  is  the  result  of  long  continued  exposure  to  close  air, 
little  or  no  sunshine,  and  total  ahsence  of  all  green  vegetable  food.  This 
points,  of  course,  to  city  cellars  and  shut-in  town  back  yards. 

The  cause  suggests  the  remedy.  Either  give  up  the  keeping  of 
birds  under  such  unhygienic  conditions  or  remove  them  to  pastures 
green,  with  sunny  skies.  A  tonic  of  a  little  nux  vomica  may  be  helpful, 
but  after  all  the  best  remedy  is  good  food  with  proper  care  and  housing. 
Oil  the  sore  surfaces  with  an  ointment  made  by  mixing  one  part  oleate 
of  zinc  and  ten  parts  vaseline.  Do  this  once  a  day  until  the  eruption 
disappears. 

Black  Rot. 

This  is  a  condition  of  the  comb  resulting  from  imperfect  circulation 
of  blood  through  it  and  is  really  evidence  of  the  death  of  the  tissue 
involved.  It  is  a  rare  occasion  when  we  meet  black  rot  except  in  tall 
combed  birds.  Nearly  every  case  that  has  been  examined  after  killing 
has  shown  some  disease  of  the  liver.  It  is  probable  that  the  comb  symp- 
toms are  secondary  to  the  real  disease. 

The  first  indication  of  the  approach  of  this  trouble  is  a  darkening 
of  the  color  of  the  comb.  The  points  only  may  be  involved  at  first,  or 
the  purple  hue  may  extend  to  the  whole  structure.  From  purple,  the 
color  changes  to  blue  and  then  to  black.  If  the  bird  in  other  respects 
is  healthy,  he  may  live  long  enougii  to  have  the  diseased  portion  sep- 
arate from  the  healthy  portion,  leaving  an  unsightly  stump.  The  dis- 
eased portion  of  the  comb  may  be  either  dry  or  moist,  "dry  rot"  or 
"moist  rot,"  according  to  the  case.  In  connection  with  an  inflamed, 
dying  comb,  there  is  nearly  a  complete  loss  of  appetite  and  a  looseness 
of  bowels.  The  bird  shows  little  desire  for  exercise  and  remains  on  the 
roost  or  under  the  droppings  beards  for  hours  at  a  time. 

The  varied  circumstances  under  which  cases  of  "black  rot"  have 
been  noted  give  little  idea  as  to  the  cause  of  the  disease.  In  a  few  cases 
there  is  a  history  of  a  sudden  chill  and  in  others  the  houses  were  close 
and  damp. 

If  the  disease  gets  a  good  start,  treatment  does  little  good.  The 
comb  should  be  painted  twice  a  day  with  a  lotion  of  one  ounce  of  water, 
one-half  ounce  glycerine,  and  carbolic  acid  crystals,  two  grains.  Keep 
the  bird  in  a  dry,  sunny,  clean  room,  giving  pure  water  and  fresh  air. 
Be  sure  that  green  food,  in  some  form,  such  as  dandelion  or  cabbage 
leaves  or  onions,  be  within  reach  at  all  times.     The  adding  one-half  tea- 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  53 

spoonful  muriate  of  ammonia  to  each  pint  of  drinking  water  will  help 
relieve  the  congested  liver. 

Frost  Bite. 

The  appearance  of  frost  bite  is  much  the  same  as  that  of  black  rot, 
but  the  bird  does  not  lose  its  appetite  and  is  nearly  as  lively  as  usual. 
The  color  of  the  comb  or  wattles  is  purple  or  black.  The  darker  the 
color  the  more  danger  of  the  frozen  part  being  lost.  The  more  rapid  the 
thawing  of  the  part  the  more  danger  of  serious  results  to  the  portion 
affected. 

Frost  bite  is,  of  course,  due  to  exposing  the  birds  to  too  low  a  tem- 
perature or  the  long  continued  heat  absorbing  action  of  a  zero  breeze. 
Low  vitality,  from  close  houses  or  under-feeding,  increases  the  danger, 
both  of  frost  bite  and  the  after  effects. 

The  taller  and  thinner  the  comb  the  more  it  is  exposed  to  the  loss 
of  heat,  and  the  more  care  should  be  given  to  proper  housing  and  yard- 
ing. Do  the  best  we  can  there  will,  at  times,  come  cases  of  frost  bite 
into  our  flocks.  A  sudden  drop  of  forty  degrees  in  the  night  or  the  unex- 
pected rise  of  a  zero  breeze,  will  catch  our  birds  when  we  are  unpre- 
pared. The  best  house  and  the  best  care  will  not  prevent  the  appear- 
ance of  a  case  now  and  then. 

If  the  trouble  is  seen  before  the  frost  has  thawed  out,  put  the  bird 
in  a  room  that  will  warm  up  slowly,  letting  the  circulation  begin  slowly. 
Avoid  a  place  where  the  bird  can  get  into  the  direct  sunlight  or  a  room 
that  is  much  above  the  freezing  point.  Even  the  holding  of  dry  snow 
against  the  comb  will  help  remove  more  slowly  the  frost  of  the  parts. 
Having  restored  the  circulation,  or  noticing  the  bird  after  it  has  thawed 
out,  apply  twice  a  day  an  ointment  of  vaseline,  six  tablespoonfuls, 
glycerine  two  tablespoonfuls,  turpentine  one  teaspoonful.  This  will 
help  start  into  a  healthy  condition  the  blood  circulation  of  comb  and 
wattles,  and  at  the  same  time  reduce  the  swelling. 

Injuries  of  Comb. 

Injuries  to  the  comb  and  wattles  are  more  or  less  common,  and  are 
usually  the  results  of  fighting  or  from  getting  caught  in  wire  or  lath 
divisions  of  the  house  or  yard.  Sometimes  a  thin  comb  is  nearly  torn 
from  the  head  or  a  wattle  is  badly  slit.  To  avoid  deformity  the  parts 
should  be  brought  closely  together  and  stitched  with  a  needle  and  fine 
white  silk.  The  blood  supply  is  so  good  that  even  though  three-fourths 
the  part  is  torn  a  little,  stitching  will  result  in  the  part  healing  and 
presenting  a  fine  appearance  as  the  result  of  a  little  careful  work.  Keep 
the  bird  alone  until  the  stitches  can  be  cut  and  removed,  thus  preventing 
any  picking  by  other  birds.  Whenever  blood  dries  on  the  surface  of  the 
comb  and  you  find  other  birds  inclined  to  pick  at  it,  put  the  hird  away 
by  itself.  It  is  easy  to  teach  birds  to  pick  under  such  conditions,  and  the 
habit  is  a  bad  one.  The  irritation  to  the  sick  bird  is  also  bad  and  delays 
healing,  if  indeed  it  does  not  undo  the  good  you  have  done.  For  a 
sore  comb  or  one  that  is  slow  in  healing,  apply  an  ointment  of  oleate 


54  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

of  zinc  one  part  to  vaseline  ten  parts.     This  protects  the  sore  parts  and 
hastens  the  healing  of  the  tears. 

Eczema. 

I  have  sometimes  thought  there  was  no  difference  between  eczema 
and  "white  comb,"  and  yet  we  seldom  see  the  two  troubles  in  the  same 
bird.  Eczema  is  a  disease  manifesting  itself  in  the  skin,  yet  due  to  a 
constitutional  cause.  It  is  caused  by  the  over-feeding  of  a  highly  nitro- 
genous ration,  by  lack  of  excretion,  or  from  closely  inbred  birds  of  a 
rheumatic  tendency.  The  disease  is  never  passed  by  contact  from  bird 
to  bird.     It  is  not  contagious. 

While  eczema  may  appear  on  any  part  of  the  skin  of  the  bird,  the 
usual  seat  of  the  disease  is  the  wattles.  I  am  not  sure  but  it  appears  at 
the  same  time  on  other  parts  of  the  bird,  but  being  covered  by  feathers 
it  does  not  attract  our  attention.  On  the  wattles  it  attracts  our  notice 
by  the  appearing  of  fine  white  points.  These  are  slightly  raised  and 
seem  to  have  just  the  thin  skin  ovei-  them.  They  continue  to  increase 
in  size,  new  points  appearing,  the  contents  becoming  thinner  and 
slightly  lighter  in  color.  When  several  "points"  have  united,  the  skin 
bursts,  the  fluid  runs  out,  and  dries  on  the  surface,  forming  a  scurfy 
crust.  In  severe  cases  the  discharge  has  been  noticed  to  irritate  the  skin 
of  the  shanks  and  toes  where  it  falls  on  them.  Birds  with  eczema  pre- 
sent a  tired  appearance  and  a  marked  loss  of  appetite. 

These  cases  need  an  improved  diet.  The  mash  should  contain  a 
good  proportion  of  cut  clover,  green  vegetables  should  be  fed  liberally, 
and  there  should  be  very  little  meat  fed  in  any  form  for  weeks.  Green 
cut  bone,  free  from  meat,  will  be  helpful  in  building  up  the  bird. 

One  grain  pill  citrate  iron  and  quinine  every  morning  and  one  grain 
calomel  at  night  for  one  week  will  help  clear  up  the  constitutional  con- 
dition, and  increase  the  health  of  the  bird. 

Apply  to  the  diseased  wattles  several  times  during  the  week  the 
same  ointment  as  recommended  for  "white  comb." 

Chicken  Pox. 

We  seldom  have  cases  of  chicken  pox  among  our  adult  birds,  but  run 
across  it  in  the  autumn  of  the  year  in  the  nearly  matured  stock.  Cold, 
damp,  dark  days  increase  the  number  of  cases  and  intensify  the  disease. 
While  the  eruption  may  appear  on  any  part  of  the  skin  of  the  bird,  we 
usually  see  it  on  the  face  or  underside  of  wings.  These  places  are  easy 
to  get  at  and  from  the  character  of  the  eruption  we  name  the  trouble. 
The  eruption  may  extend  to  the  eye  balls  or  appear  directly  on  them, 
and  may  cause  the  loss  of  sight,  if  not  the  destruction  of  the  eye  balls. 

The  more  numerous  the  sores  or  ulcers  the  more  prominent  the  loss 
of  appetite,  strength  and  color. 

Chicken  pox  is  known  by  the  scabby  ulcers  appearing  on  any  part 
of  the  body,  but  more  often  on  head  or  wing.  These  ulcers  exude  a 
liquid  that  is  inclined  to  dry  on  the  surface  and  present  a  scaly,  dirty 
coating.     The   sores   present  themselves   in   crops,   and   have   no   great 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  55 

depth.  Unlike  white  comb  they  do  not  present  at  first  a  fine  white 
point.  Along  with  the  coming  of  the  eruption  the  bird  shows  more 
thirst  than  common,  and  a  slight  rise  of  temperature. 

Chicken  pox  does  not  prove  fatal  unless  there  is  marked  lack  of 
care  in  housing  and  feeding.  Birds  kept  dry  and  out  of  cold  winds  on 
simple  nourishing  foods,  need  little  medicine.  If  chicken  pox  appears 
during  a  long  continued  storm  in  the  fall  of  the  year  and  the  birds  are 
not  kept  from  exposure  to  it,  there  is  likely  to  be  a  large  death  rate. 

For  the  eruption  there  is  nothing  better  than  common  carbolated 
vaseline.  Feed  a  simple  mash  of  at  least  one-third  clover  mixed  with 
boiling  milk.  See  that  all  damp  scratching  material  is  promptly  moved 
and  dry  straw  supplied  in  its  place.  The  danger  in  this  disease  is  expos- 
ure to  cold  and  wet. 

Apoplexy. 

By  apoplexy  I  mean  the  condition  resulting  from  a  break  in  a  blood 
vessel  of  the  brain.  This  break  may  come  because  of  a  weakened  state 
of  the  artery  itself,  or  from  too  great  a  blood  pressure  on  it  from  over 
action  of  the  heart.  The  common  cause  of  weakness  of  the  blood  ves- 
sels of  the  brain  is  an  over-fat  condition  of  the  whole  bird.  In  common 
with  other  parts  of  the  muscular  system,  the  little  muscles  of  the 
arteries  suffer  from  fatty  degeneration,  which  produces  a  weakened  wall 
to  resist  pressure.  Without  some  other  direct  factor  this  fatty  wall 
would  seldom  give  way  and  produce  a  brain  trouble.  However,  let  a 
bird  in  this  fatty  state  be  chased  violently  about  the  farm,  and  the 
increased  action  of  the  heart  brings  to  bear  on  the  brain  vessels 
increased  pressure  that  is  likely  to  produce  serious  results.  Birds  in 
this  diseased  condition  are  likely  to  have  difficulty  in  passing  their  eggs, 
and  during  the  greater  strain  imposed  upon  the  bird  in  laying  it  is  liable 
to  burst  a  vessel  in  the  brain,  and  apoplexy  results.  This  accounts  for 
many  laying  hens  being  found  dead  on  the  nest. 

Filling  crop  and  gizzard  to  extreme  fullness,  in  an  over-fat  bird,  has 
been  known  to  produce  apoplexy  and  death.  I  remember  a  case  in  my 
own  yards  several  years  ago.  A  two-year-old  male,  a  Wyandotte,  at 
the  end  of  a  long  breeding  season  was  put  into  a  pen  with  a  dozen  half 
grown  cockerels.  While  in  the  breeding  pen  he  was  all  attention  to  the 
hens,  seeing  that  they  had  food  enough  before  he  would  help  himself, 
but  under  his  changed  circumstances  he  was  greedy  to  get  all  he  could 
from  the  young  males.  As  I  fed  them  one  night,  I  noticed  how  lively 
the  cock  was,  how  he  was  eating  as  I  had  never  seen  a  bird  eat  before. 
Apparently  he  was  in  perfect  health.  Half  an  hour  later,  I  found  him 
lying  on  his  side  dead,  with  purple  comb  and  wattles.  His  crop  was 
stuffed  with  grain,  and  his  gizzard  was  tightly  packed  with  food  of  all 
kinds. 

In  times  of  long  continued  hot  weather  cases  resembling  apoplexy 
may  be  met.  These  are  usually  sunstroke,  and  while  there  is  brain 
pressure,  there  is  no  clot  of  blood  to  be  found  in  the  brain  as  in  apo- 
plexy. 


56  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

Prevention  of  apoplexy  is  along  the  line  of  proper  care.  First,  the 
feeding  a  well  balanced  ration;  second,  no  chasing  of  birds  by  dogs  or 
boys;  third,  moderate  feeding  in  such  a  way  as  to  prevent  a  greedy  bird 
getting  his  food  in  too  short  a  time. 

Cases  of  apoplexy,  and  cases  resem'bling  it  in  any  way,  should  be 
bled  at  the  first  indication  of  the  trouble.  To  wait  awhile  is  to  see  the 
bird  die.  With  a  sharp  knife  open  a  blood  vessel  on  the  under  side  of 
the  wing.  Let  two  teaspoonfuls  of  blood  flow  before  allowing  the  blood 
to  clot.  Even  this  small  amount  will  reduce  the  pressure  on  the  vessels. 
A  laxative,  such  as  castor  oil  or  one  drop  croton  oil,  should  be  given  if 
the  bird  can  be  made  to  swallow. 

Few  cases  of  apoplexy  ever  regain  good  health.  There  is  always 
something  wrong  about  the  birds,  and  they  are  constantly  getting  out 
of  condition.  If  a  number  of  cases  appear  in  a  flock,  it  will  be  well  to 
make  a  few  changes  in  diet.  Reduce  the  quantity  of  corn  and  cornmeal; 
increase  the  amount  of  clover  and  green  vegetables,  and  give  the  birds 
their  freedom,  or  yard  them  on  large  grass  fields.  Provide  some  protec- 
tion from  the  heat  of  noon  day. 

Worms. 

I  shall  say  little  on  the  subject  of  worms,  except  as  relates  to  the 
roundworm,  the  tapeworm  and  to  gapes.  These  are  three  worms  that 
are  common  enough  to  warrant  suggesting  treatment  for  the  condi- 
tions that  arise  when  they  are  present  in  our  birds.  There  are  a  dozen 
others  that  are  of  interest  as  curiosities,  but  they  are  rarely  seen  and 
are  not  really  dangerous.  Our  government,  through  its  department  at 
Washington,  and  some  of  the  State  Experiment  Stations,  is  doing  good 
work  in  the  study  of  worms  and  their  relation  to  poultry  disease,  and 
the  printed  reports  should  be  studied  by  poultrymen.  The  Rhode  Island 
Station  has  advanced  study  in  this  line,  especially  the  relation  of  worms 
to  turkey  disease.  It  is  well  to  understand  the  dangers  and  symptoms 
of  these  parasites,  that  we  may  recognize  their  presence  and  so  avoid 
serious  trouble  and  possible  failure. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  worms  that  are  more  or  less  common  in  the 
digestive  canal  of  fowls — the  "roundworm"  and  "tapeworm." 

The  Roundworm. 

The  roundworm  receives  its  name  from  its  shape  in  contradistinc- 
tion to  the  flat  tapeworm.  The  roundworm  is  much  more  common  than 
the  tapeworm,  and  is  familiar  to  any  dresser  of  poultry.  It  is  not  a 
source  of  trouble  except  from  the  massing  of  large  numbers.  A  few 
worms  make  little  impression  on  the  health  of  a  bird,  but  if  they  abound 
in  hundreds  they  will  have  a  decided  effect  on  the  digestion  of  the  hen. 
The  large  numbers,  matted  and  wriggling,  may  be  a  cause  of  stoppage; 
their  irritation  causes  diarrhoea;  and  their  appetites  diminish  the  nutri- 
ment intended  to  support  the  hen.  These  roundworms  are  seldom 
passed  in  the  bowel  discharges.  Now  and  then  a  worm  is  passed,  but 
it  soon  dies  in  the  droppings  or  is  eaten  by  some  other  bird.     It  is  not 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  57 

till  a  bird  is  killed  or  dies  that  worms  are  known  to  be  present.  Tbe 
roundworm  varies  in  size  from  one-third  to  five  inches  in  length.  Its 
color  is  white.  The  head  is  pointed  like  the  sharpened  end  of  a  pencil; 
the  tail  blunt  like  the  end  of  a  finger. 

The  symptoms  of  worms  are  those  of  indigestion.  The  comb  and 
wa'ttles  are  pale,  bird  thin,  with  possibly  a  slight  diarrhoea. 

If  you  suspect  worms,  try  to  remove  them.  Dissolve  in  the  water 
that  isvto  be  used  for  mixing  the  mash,  two  grains  santonine  for  each 
bird  to  be  treated.  Mix  a  small  allowance  of  mash,  quite  dry,  and  add 
castor  oil,  one-half  teaspoonful  for  each  bird.  Feed  this  to  the  suspected 
birds,  watching  for  the  results  of  the  "worm  treatment."  All  droppings 
should  be  collected  often  and  put  out  of  reach  of  the  birds. 

The  Tapeworm. 

The  tapeworm  is  not  as  common  as  the  roundworm.  I  have  met 
poultrymen  who  have  never  seen  a  tapeworm,  even  v/hen  dressing  birds. 
Perhaps  if  they  had  taken  pains  to  examine  the  contents  of  the  bowels 
they  might  have  another  story  to  tell.  Poultrymen  are  busy  folks  and 
have  little  time  for  looking  after  something  that  has  made  only  a 
slight  impression  on  the  health  of  their  birds.  Vale  tells  us  that  this 
tapeworm  "appears  to  be  identical  with  the  tapeworm  found  in  cats 
(Toenia  crassicolis),  and  it  is,  therefore,  highly  probable  that  it  is 
derived  from  the  same  source — that  Is,  the  fiuke  of  the  liver  of  the 
mouse;  for  it  is  an  ascertained  fact  that  fowls  will  actually  catch  mice 
and  eat  them.  I  have  seen  brooder  chicks  catch  little  mice  and  tear 
them  limb  from  limb." 

Our  birds  generally  show  no  indication  of  the  presence  of  tape- 
worms. Sometimes  the  birds  will  be  uncommonly  thin  in  spite  of  a 
good  appetite,  but  tapeworm  is  not  thought  of.  When  the  worm  gets 
quite  long,  pieces  of  the  tail  may  be  seen  in  the  droppings,  looking  like 
narrow  tape. 

Knowing,  or  even  suspecting,  that  you  have  a  case  of  tapeworm  to 
deal  with,  give  the  bird  six  drops  oil  male  fern  in  one  teaspoonful  castor 
oil.  The  proper  time  of  the  day  to  give  this  is  in  the  morning  while  the 
crop  and  gizzard  are  empty,  and  if  the  food  of  the  night  before  is  a 
light  one,  so  much  the  better.  Two  hours  after  giving  the  male  fern, 
give  a  light  mash  containing  for  each  bird  treated  one  tablespoonful 
castor  oil. 

Gapes. 

Gapes  is  a  disease  appearing  in  chicks,  rather  than  in  old  birds,  and 
is  the  direct  cause  of  death  of  millions  of  young  chicks  and  wild  birds 
every  year.  I  have  known  of  its  resulting  fatally  in  fifty  per  cent  of 
cases  attacked.  Gapes  are  caused  by  the  irritation  of  a  parasitic  worm 
in  the  windpipe.  A  single  worm  makes  little  impression,  but  when  they 
are  present  in  dozens  the  danger  is  not  to  be  courted.  The  direct  irri- 
tation is  not  the  only  source  of  difficulty,  for  the  loss  of  nutrition  needed 
to  support  the  life  of  the  worm  is  felt  by  the  bird. 

Every  case  of  gapes  presupposes  a  previous  case.     It  does  not  arise 


58  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

from  filth  or  wrong  feeding,  but  it  does  seem  to  talie  fresh  vigor  when 
the  surroundings  are  unhygienic.  There  are  fewer  cases  of  this  dis- 
ease in  New  England  than  in  the  Middle  and  South  Atlantic  states, 
whether  due  to  the  long  cold  winter  or  not  is  uncertain.  It  seems  to 
flourish  in  the  dry  sandy  sections  of  our  country,  in  the  wet  days  of  late 
summer  and  early  fall.  Heat  and  wet  seem  to  go  with  fresh  outbrea-ks. 
A  few  of  the  worst  epidemics  I  have  known  have  appeared  in  the  late 
fall,  in  full  grown  birds,  kept  on  wet  clay  coil. 

Gapes  have  often  been  found  in  the  common  earth  worm,  in  those 
sections  of  the  country  where  the  disease  is  to  be  met.  This  may  explain 
why  the  disease  appears  year  after  year  in  spite  of  the  most  careful  labor 
towards  cure  and  prevention. 

Gapes  have  been  a  suibject  written  about  since  the  first  of  the  past 
century.  The  national  agricultural  department,  fifteen  years  ago,  em- 
ployed Dr.  H.  D.  Walker,  of  New  York,  to  study  the  gape  worm.  As 
part  of  the  report  of  his  labors,  we  are  told  that  newly  hatched  embryos 
introduced  into  the  windpipe  of  a  chick  gain  full  size  In  eight  days. 
That  eggs  must  have  a  temperature  of  above  thirty-two  to  grow  and 
are  destroyed  by  freezing. 

The  parasite  that  is  the  cause  of  gapes  varies  in  length  from  one- 
eighth  to  one-half  inch,  and  is  threadlike  in  appearance.  Its  color 
varies  according  to  the  amount  of  the  bird's  blood  that  it  may  have 
taken  at  the  time  of  examination.  It  may  be  pale  or  even  bright  red. 
Often  you  may  think  you  have  found  a  double-headed  worm,  but  careful 
looking  will  show  you  that  what  seemed  at  first  one  worm  with  two 
heads  is  really  two  worms  closely  united  for  breeding.  The  worm 
usually  found  in  the  windpipe  is  half  an  inch  long  and  its  diameter  that 
of  a  medium-sized  sewing  needle. 

The  history  of  this  parasite  is  an  interesting  one  and  may  be  pur- 
sued to  advantage  in  the  reports  of  some  of  the  state  Experiment  Sta- 
tions. 

The  symptoms  vary  according  to  the  amount  of  irritation  and  loss 
of  nutrition.  The  early  symptom  is  a  little  cough  (hack),  as  though  a 
little  dust  had  slipped  into  the  windpipe  ,and  the  bird  was  trying  to 
eject  it.  As  the  worms  increase  in  size  and  number,  their  presence 
inflames  the  lining  membrane  of  the  windpipe,  increasing  the  amount 
of  normal  secretion  as  well  as  thickening  the  lining  itself.  The  increase 
of  irritation,  the  flow  of  mucous,  and  the  swollen  membrane,  all  work  to 
change  the  character  of  the  breathing,  giving  us  the  gasping  or  gaping 
that  names  the  disease.  The  bird  goes  about  with  open  mouth,  as  if  he 
had  taken  a  mouthful  of  too  hot  food.  In  some  cases  the  mucus  secreted 
is  so  plentiful  as  to  partially  prevent  the  passing  of  air,  and  in  others 
it  is  drawn  into  the  bronchial  tubes  often  causing  the  death  of  the  chick. 
The  inflammation  itself  may  extend  to  the  lungs  and  so  kill  the  bird. 

Besides  the  gaping  and  open-mouthed  breathing,  there  is  at  times 
sneezing,  trouble  in  swallowing  food,  and  loss  of  flesh.  Gapes  is  a  ser- 
ious diseivse  and  precautions  should  be  exercised  to  prevent  its  entering 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  59 

your  yards,  and  the  subject  should  be  studied  to  obtain  the  knowledge 
needed  to  cure  cases  arising  in  your  flock. 

It  is  always  well  at  the  beginning  of  any  serious  sickness  in  our 
birds  to  gain  the  information  (to  be  obtained  in  no  other  way)  gleaned 
from  a  post-mortem  examination.  It  is  better  to  know  you  have  gapes 
to  deal  with,  than  to  doctor  for  gapes  when  you  have  on  hand  an  epi- 
demic of  pneumonia  or  bronchitis.  The  very  treatment  needed  for 
gapes  would  surely  kill  the  subjects  of  these  last  named  diseases.  Exam- 
ine carefully  the  whole  lining  of  the  windpipe,  using  a  magnifying  glass 
of  low  power  if  you  have  one,  and  do  not  give  treatment  suggested  for 
gapes  unless  you  find  the  worms. 

The  very  location  of  the  home  of  the  gapeworm  makes  its  treatment 
difficult.  If  the  worm  lived  in  the  crop  or  bowels  it  could  easily  be 
reached  with  liquid  medicines,  and  the  irritation  itself  would  cause  much 
less  distress  to  the  infected  bird. 

To  reach  the  worm  in  the  windpipe  all  sorts  of  combinations  of  wire, 
hair  and  feathers  have  been  offered  to  a  confiding  poultry  public.  Some 
do  bring  up  sample  worms,  but  most  of  them  are  utter  failures.  The 
best  only  confirm  your  diagnosis,  and  have  little  effect  towards  the  cure 
of  the  trouble.  The  few  large  worms  extracted  lessen  irritation  for  a 
while,  but  the  short  young  worms  are  too  small  to  be  caught  in  any 
device  yet  invented.  The  instrument  in  ordinary  use  consists  of  a  long 
wire,  having  at  its  end  circles  of  horse  hair.  This  is  pushed  down  the 
air  tube,  turned  two  or  three  times,  slowly  withdrawn,  with  one  or  more 
worms  possibly  entangled  in  its  meshes.  This  is  a  slow  process  and 
very  wearing  on  the  bird. 

The  most  common  and  satisfactory  treatment  is  the  use  of  lime  dust. 
The  birds  are  shut  into  a  barrel  or  box,  so  arranged  as  to  allow  inspec- 
tion of  the  birds  while  subjected  to  the  process,  and  air  slacked  lime  is 
allowed  to  settle  slowly  through  the  air  of  the  chamber.  This  is  done 
by  having  part  of  the  top  of  the  box  or  barrel  covered  with  bagging  so 
the  dust  can  be  admitted  slowly  as  well  as  finely.  The  lime  irritates 
the  linings  of  the  windpipe  as  well  as  those  of  the  finer  tubes  of  the 
chest  and  its  use  is  followed  by  coughing  and  sneezing.  This  dislodges 
the  worms,  and  repeated  coughing  brings  up  some  of  them.  Care  must 
be  taken  to  limit  the  amount  of  lime  used,  and  air  must  be  admitted  in 
fair  quantities.  Too  little  air  or  too  much  lime  long  administered  will 
cause  a  serious  inflammation  of  the  mucous  memljrane  of  the  air  pass- 
ages. 

If  gapes  is  introduced  into  your  plant  you  should  plan  to  raise  all 
chicks  the  coming  season  on  ground  that  has  not  been  used  for  poultry 
purposes  for  several  years.  Plow  and  plant  to  some  hoed  crop  all  yards 
or  ground  that  have  been  used  for  infected  birds.  After  two  years  such 
land  will  probably  be  safe  to  use  again  for  poultry. 

You  are  never  sure  you  have  the  gapes  unless  you  can  find  one  or 
more  of  the  worms.  It  is  decidedly  risky  to  treat  for  gapes  unless  you 
know  you  have  that  disease  to  contend  with.  A  bird  may  gape  or 
appear  to  have  something  in  its  throat  and  yet  not  have  the  ••gape- 
worm"  in  its  windpipe.  There  is  little,  if  any,  disturbance  of  the  gen- 
eral system  in  the  commencement  of  gapes,  while  in  bronchitis  or  pneu- 
monia there  is  some  rise  in  temperature.  To  use  lime  dust  on  birds 
sick  with  pneumonia  or  bronchitis  is  to  do  that  which  is  likely  to  kill 
the  bird.  Better  no  treatment  than  thoughtless  diaeriosis  of  disease  and 
an  ^off-hand  use  of  strong  remedies.  Dr.  N.  W.  Sanborn. 


60  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

MEDICINE  IN  THE  POULTRY  YARD. 


By  Velma  Caldwell  Melville. 


[A  series  of  articles  g'iving  actual  experiences  in  treating  fowls.    Written  expressly  for 
the  Reliable  Poultry  Journal.     All  rights  reserved.] 

A  prominent  fancier  ridicules  the  idea  of  doctoring  fowls,  giving  as 
his  remedy  for  all  ills — a  sharp  axe.  While  there  are  times  when  this 
is  decidedly  the  medicine,  still  there  are  a  majority  of  instances,  espe- 
cially among  thoroughbreds,  where  we  may  employ  milder  and  more 
profitat)le  means.  "We  have  a  homeopathic  "book  and  box" — for  we  do 
not  think  harsh  remedies  should  be  used  in  the  animal  world — and  will, 
in  a  series  of  short  talks  under  the  above  caption,  mention  some  of  the 
ills,  and  their  symptoms,  that  our  feathered  friends  are  heir  to,  also  the 
remedies  in  each  instance. 

First,  however,  we  will  name  some  general  remedies  and  tonics 
which  are  not,  strictly  speaking,  in  the  "box."  These  may  be  employed 
whether  one  goes  deeper  into  the  science  of  "Medicine  in  the  Poultry 
Yard"  or  not. 

Indigestion. 

In  fowls,  as  in  all  other  living  creatures,  digestion  plays  an  impor- 
tant part  in  health.  Indigestion  means  sickness.  It  is  needless  here  to 
repeat  the  old  story  about  plenty  of  grit,  but  perhaps  some  of  our  friends 
depend  entirely  upon  this,  when  there  are  instances  where  it  fails  the 
chick  even  as  our  teeth  sometimes  fail  us  and  we  have  to  "take  some- 
thing." Some  are  inclined  to  sneer  at  tonics  for  man,  beast  or  fowl. 
For  those  who  are  so  circumstanced  as  to  be  able  to  have  outdoor  exer- 
cise and  the  like  this  is  well,  but  yarded  fowls,  like  persons  much 
indoors,  have  sometimes  to  resort  to  artificial  means. 

Here  are  three  common  and  inexpensive  remedies  that  act  directly 
on  the  digestive  organs — cayenne  pepper,  asafoetida  and  gentian.  Char- 
coal acts  as  a  purifier.  For  a  simple  tonic,  we  are  told  over  and  over 
to  use  iron,  even  rusty  nails  in  the  water  being  recommended.  Then 
there  is  the  far-famed  Douglas  Mixture,  given  elsewhere  in  this  book. 
The  Douglas  Mixture  should  not  be  given  oftener  than  every  other  day 
and  twice  a  week  is  usually  found  sufficient.  Sulphur  we  find  a  valued 
remedy  in  the  poultry  yard,  but  this,  too,  should  be  used  with  caution. 

Then  there  are  the  much-noted  chicken  powders.  Certainly  we  find 
circumstances  where  they  are  decidedly  advisable.  Perhaps  one  of  the 
best  powders  is  compounded  thus:  Equal  parts  copperas,  cayenne,  sul- 
phur and  rosin.     Pound  together  and  mix  well. 

Lime  water  is  excellent  for  fowls  in  both  sickness  and  health.  The 
formula  is  simple.  Slake  eight  ounces  of  good  lime  in  a  little  water  and 
then  add  water  enough  to  make  two  gallons.  Let  stand  until  clear,  pour 
off  and  set  the  lime  away  to  make  more,  which  is  done  by  adding  cold 
water,  stirring  well,  and  letting  settle  as  before. 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  61 

Perhaps  here  we  should  insert  a  few  cautions.  In  giving  charcoal 
teach  the  chicks  to  eat  it  by  first  pulverizing  and  mixing  with  soft  food; 
afterwards  it  can  'be  kept  before  them  in  broken  bits  and  they  will  take 
it  as  nature  prompts.  The  pan  of  charcoal  is  a  fixture  at  our  "ranch." 
However,  in  soft  form,  the  fowls  are  apt  to  get  enough  to  clog  the 
system. 

Some  directions:  The  size  of  any  dose  of  medicine  given  a  fowl 
should  be  the  same  as  for  a  child.  To  a  chick  two  weeks  old  give  the 
sized  dose  one  would  to  a  child  of  six  months;  to  one  six  weeks  old,  the 
dose  for  a  child  of  one  year;  to  one  half  grown,  that  for  a  two-year-old 
child;  to  one  full  grown,  the  dose  for  a  child  of  three  or  four  years.  Give 
all  medicine  in  solution  if  possible;  if  not,  in  pill. 

Above  everything  else,  use  common  sense,  a  firm,  gentle  hand;  and 
remember  that  no  one  remedy  will  cure  everything;  and  that  what  will 
answer  in  one  case  may  fail  in  another  similar,  the  same  as  in  the 
human  family. 

S3n3iptoms. 

In  doctoring  poultry  one  must  observe  and  study  symptoms  care- 
fully. 

Haven't  time? 

Then  don't  go  into  the  business,  for  it  takes  time  to  do  a  thing  well, 
and  to  stand  a  show  in  the  fancier's  world  now-a-days  one  must  do  well, 
and  very  well.  When  a  bird  dies  make  an  intelligent  autopsy  and  learn 
something. 

Of  course,  we  all  know  that  cleanliness  is  the  great  "preventive" 
and  "cure"  among  fowls,  but  it  is  not  everything.  Look  to  the  lice  and 
mites  first  of  all,  however.  Feed  carefully,  observe  all  that  is  written 
in  the  poultry  journals  and  if,  after  all  this,  your  fowls  are  sick,  try 
some  of  the  suggestions  to  be  found  in  "Medicine  in  the  Poultry  Yard." 

It  pays  to  make  a  thorough  study  of  whatever  business  one  is  going 
into,  not  more  surely  broking  or  banking  than  fancying.  To  intelli- 
gently proceed  to  doctor  a  chicken  one  must  know  what  a  healthy  one 
is  like.  For  instance,  to  note  carefully  the  condition  of  the  bird  when 
the  heart,  liver,  etc.,  are  in  normal  condition  is  soon  to  be  able  to  dis- 
tinguish by  symptoms  when  these  organs  are  out  of  repair. 

By  handling  birds,  studying  them,  being  with  them,  one  learns  much 
about  them.  We  know  at  once  when  one  of  our  fowls  is  ailing,  as  there 
is  seldom  an  hour  in  the  day  when  some  one  of  the  family  does  not  look 
them  over. 

The  inmates  of  one  pen  of  heavy  Barred  Rocks  have  to  be  literally 
pushed  out  of  one's  way,  they  are  so  tame  and  so  fond  of  petting.  An- 
other pen  of  lighter  birds  fiy  on  us  the  minute  we  enter  the  run,  two 
or  three  disputing  for  standing  room  on  our  arms  and  hands  at  once. 
And  then  there  are  the  White  Rocks,  so  gentle  and  tame  that  we  call 
them  doves.  The  majority  have  names,  and,  as  we  stated,  all  a,re 
watched  so  closely  that  the  slightest  indisposition  is  noticed  and  prompt 
remedies  applied,  allowing,  of  course,  for  nature  to  cure  first. 


62  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

Colds,  Indigestion,  Constipation. 

Fowls  have  "bad  colds."  For  this  we  give  a  few  doses  of  aconite — 
third  dilution — one  drop  every  hour.  If  feverish  symptoms  accompany,, 
alternate  belladona — same  dilution  and  dose — with  the  aconite. 

For  foul  stomach,  sudden  indigestion  or  constipation,  a  drop  of  nux 
vomica — third  dilution — every  two  hours,  usually  corrects  the  difficulty. 

One  must,  however,  be  cautious  about  forming  too  hasty  conclusions, 
as  oftimes  very  similar  symptoms  indicate  different  diseases.  In  very 
complex  or  confusing  cases  it  were  well  to  sacrifice  a  bird  or  two  for 
the  purpose  of  determining  the  disease,  thereby  possibly  saving  the  rest 
of  the  f ock. 

First  of  all,  be  sure  that  vermin,  a  drafty  hen  house,  impure  water, 
unwholesome  food,  or  some  easily  removable  cause  is  not  at  the  bottom 
of  your  trouble.  Common  sense  suggests  that  in  all  contagious  diseases 
the  affected  fowl  be  removed  to  separate  quarters  and  these  quarters 
afterward  completely  destoyed. 

Cholera. 

Cholera  is  perhaps  the  most  dreaded  of  all  the  ills  that  poultry  is 
heir  to.  In  ordering  these  articles  the  editor  asked  for  personal  experi- 
ence, but  we  are  happy  to  say  that  we  have  had  no  personal  experience 
in  cholera,  though  it  has  been  all  about  us  time  and  again.  In  this,  pre- 
vention is  far  more  valuable  and  comfortable  than  cure,  hence  we  will 
first  name  some  preventives.  Let  a  stiff  paste  of  flour  and  water  form 
one  article  on  the  bill  of  fare;  corn  soaked  in  kerosene  some  hours  before 
feeding,  another.  One  day  add  sulphur  to  the  soft  food;  the  next,  soda; 
the  next,  cayenne;  the  next  tincture  or  iron.  The  Douglas  Mixture 
added  to  the  food  is  another  preventive.  Feed  a  little  charcoal  occasion- 
ally. Add  carbolic  acid — a  little — to  the  drink.  Last,  but  by  no  means 
least,  thoroughly  clean  up  the  poultry  houses  and  runs. 

As  to  the  "cures,"  they  are  legion.  One  excellent  authority  recom- 
mends ten  drops  of  strong  tincture  of  eucalyptus  globules,  five  grains 
common  salt  and  one-half  teaspoonful  ground  pepper.  Give  in  a  table- 
spoonful  of  water. 

Another  advises  one  ounce  of  powdered  garlic,  two  drachms  tinc- 
ture of  capsicum,  two  drachms  tincture  of  camphor,  one-half  ounce  rhu- 
barb, one  drachm  tincture  of  opium,  three  drachms  oil  of  peppermint. 
Mix  well  and  give  from  six  to  eight  drops  three  times  a  day  in  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  water. 

Other  fanciers  have  successfully  carried  their  flocks  through  on 
equal  parts  cayenne  pepper,  alum,  rosin  and  sulphur.  Mix  and  put  in  the 
food  once  a  daj''  a  tablespoonful  to  three  pints  scalded  meal. 

Still  another  is,  two  tablespoonfuls  Epsom  salts,  four  of  lime  and 
ten  drops  tincture  of  iron  added  to  a  gallon  of  meal. 

Lastly,  we  give  Dr.  Dickies'  "heroic"  pills  to  be  used  for  fowls  too 
far  gone  to  eat,  not  claiming  them  as  strictly  homeopathic,  though 
recommended  bj'-  homeopathic  authority:     "Sixty  grains  of  blue  mass, 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  63 

twenty-five  grains  pulverized  camphor  thirty  grains  cayenne  pepper, 
forty-eight  grains  pulverized  rhubarb,  sixty  drops  laudanum.  Mix  and 
form  into  twenty  pills.  Give  one  every  five  hours.  After  three  or  four 
have  been  taken,  give  each  bird  half  teaspoonful  castor  oil  and  ten  drops 
laudanum.  Give  a  scanty  drink  of  scalded  sour  milk  with  the  Douglas 
Mixture  added  in  such  quantity  that  twenty-five  fowls  will  get  one  gill 
per  day.     Give  no  other  drink." 

Bowel  Trouble.  Constipation. 

If  it  is  "actual  experience"  that  is  wanted,  we  feel  that  we  are  right 
at  home,  for  life  these  days  is  just  nothing  but  "actual  experience."  You 
see  we  take  the  chicks  from  the  hens  as  fast  as  they  hatch — and  some- 
times when  several  hens  come  off  at  once  they  hatch  pretty  fast — put- 
ting them  in  a  basket  beside  a  warm  brick  well  wrapped.  "We  hope  it 
not  amiss  to  here  drop  a  caution — do  not  cover  too  closely  (the  chicks, 
not  the  brick).    We  did  this,  to  our  sorrow,  the  other  day. 

As  soon  as  they  commence  eating,  which  is  from  twenty-four  to 
thirty-six  hours  after  hatching,  begin  the  danger  and  "experience."  It 
does  seem  as  if  some  chicks  were  predestined  to  live,  others  to  die.  But 
we  do  not  let  the  latter  fate  work  out  if  we  can  help  it,  especially  in 
high-bred  chicks. 

Bowel  trouble  is  about  the  first  bugbear  to  be  faced,  and  we  lost  a 
half  dozen  with  it  early  in  the  season.  Vainly  we  searched  our  "book" 
for  something  that  would  apply  to  the  case.  It  all  seemed  too  over- 
grown; then  we  tried  a  little  common  sense.  Several  White  Rock  beau- 
ties became  affected  and  we  simply  made  them  a  "cup  of  tea."  Does  not 
every  one  know  that  "store"  tea  is  an  astringent?  We  made  it  rather 
weak,  but  gave  them  nothing  else  to  drink  for  a  day.  It  would  have 
delighted  a  genuine  tea  drinker's  heart  to  have  seen  the  pretty  heads  bob 
lip  and  down  as  they  sipped  their  tea.  The  way  we  came  to  think  of 
this  was  recalling  an  instance  when  we  cured  a  pet  kitten  of  a  bad  case 
of  diarrhea  by  dosing  him  with  tea.  Of  course,  there  exists  the  danger 
of  constipation  ensuing,  'but  only  one  of  ours  fell  a  victim. 

For  constipation  we  again  sought  the  "book;"  but  this  time  we 
turned  to  the  department  for  birds  instead  of  fowls.  Of  course  what 
would  suit  a  cage  bird  would  be  more  suitable  for  a  baby  chick  than  the 
remedy  prescribed  for  a  full  grown  chicken.  "A  drop  of  castor  oil  every 
hour  until  the  difficulty  is  removed."     It  worked  like  a  charm  . 

While  studying  this  matter  we  learned  that  the  juice  of  yellow  car- 
rots, used  alone  as  the  drink,  is  a  cure  for  constipation;  also  that  poppy 
seed  is  an  excellent  remedy  for  diarrhea  and  dysentery.  In  severe  cases 
of  the  latter  give  two  drops  of  tincture  of  opium  in  the  drink. 

Pip. 

Then  there  came  another  morning  when  about  thirty  white  chicks 
awoke  with  the  appearance  of  having  taken  cold.  How  hoarse  their 
voices,  and — yes,  there  was  one  well-defined  case  of  pip  even  to  the  little 
haj-d  seals  on  the  end  of  his  tongue.     .Just  at  first,  however,  we  were  mis- 


64  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

led  by  his  continually  opening  his  mouth.  "Gapes!"  we  said,  and 
straightway  administered  camphor,  because  this  is  our  remedy — a  suc- 
cessful one  usually  in  gapes.  But  matters  grew  worse  instead  of  better. 
When  convinced  that  it  was  pip  we  went  to  work  on  a  new  line.  You 
see  the  book  stood  by  us  in  this  instance  and  we  diagnosed  the  case 
easily. 

Symptoms  of  pip-scale  on  tip  of  tongue,  a  peculiar  pip  or  "zip" 
noise;  breathing  disturbed  and  effected  through  the  mouth;  dry  tongue, 
listless,  indigestion.  The  scientific  treatment  is  "warm  quarters;  cas- 
tor oil  if  constipated.  Apply  to  tongue  and  nostrils  a  weak  solution  of 
chlorinated  soda,  if  any  local  remedy  is  used,  but  do  not  clip  end  oft 
tongue  as  some  recommend."  Spongia  may  be  used  with  good  effect; 
but  the  best,  simplest  and  surest  treatment  advocated  is  two  or  three 
grains  of  black  pepper  each  day  in  fresh  butter.  We  happened  to  have 
no  spongia  in  the  box,  though  it  is  a  favorite  remedy  for  throat  trouble 
in  man  and  beast  here,  and  did  not  like  to  put  the  grains  of  pepper  down 
so  tiny  a  throat.  We  successfully  cured  the  patient,  however,  by  feed- 
ing him  cold  potato  pretty  freely,  sprinkled  with  ground  black  pepper, 
giving  two  doses  of  castor  oil — about  one  drop  to  the  dose — keeping 
him  very  warm.  The  others  that  were  hoarse  required  only  heat,  a  drop 
of  carbolic  acid  in  the  drinking  water  and  careful  feeding. 

While  so  much  is  being  said  and  written  on  "what  to  feed  young 
chicks,"  it  may  seem  superfluous  and  even  out  of  place  in  these  talks 
for  us  to  have  a  word  on  the  subject,  but  we  must  venture  to  endorse  all 
who  say  use  dry  bread  crumbs  the  first  two  or  three  days; giving  water 
every  two  or  three  hours,  but  not  allowing  any  one  chick  to  drink  too 
much.  After  this  introduce  roiled  oats  and  millet  seed,  and  a  little  later 
still  cracked  wheat.  After  chicks  are  a  week  old  finely  chopped  meat 
is  excellent  for  them. 

Of  course,  feeding  makes  or  mars  the  need  of  medicine  in  the  poul- 
try yard  to  a  great  extent,  but  it  is  not  all.  Another  morning  a  crate  of 
baby  chicks  were  dumpish;  would  not  eat,  and  huddled  disconsolately 
together.  We  were  sure  they  were  going  to  die,  but  as  we  did  not  know 
what  ailed  them  we  could  not  give  medicine.  A  quiet  day,  with  a  little 
extra  heat  and  care  and  rather  light  feeding  did  for  them  much  the  same 
that  such  treatment  does  for  a  dumpish  person.  There  are  plenty  of 
times  when  a  judicious  letting  alone  is  the  remedy  needed,  especially 
with  young  birds. 

One  day  the  "gude  mon"  carried  all  the  crates  to  a  place  in  the  barn 
where  a  few  hens  had  been  fed  at  one  time.  Sitting  there  was  a  box  of 
coal  ashes,  and  as  the  hens  had  used  it  for  toilet  purposes  the  fioor  was 
thickly  strewn  with  ashes  and  tiny  cinders.  It  reminded  one  of  nothing 
so  much  as  bees  around  honey  to  see  the  little  fellows  crowd  around 
and  pick,  pick,  pick.     It  carried  its  own  lesson. 

We  use  sand,  finely  cracked  charcoal  and  bran  as  regulators.  A 
treat  in  the  way  of  a  baked  potato,  broken  open,  keeps  the  little  fellows 
happy  and  btisj^  for  an  hour. 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES,  65 

Roup,  Canker. 

A  friend  gives  us  the  following  bit  of  experience  with,  roup: 

"I  thought  to  improve  my  stock  of  chickens  by  investing  in  a  stan- 
dard-bred rooster,  and  he  was  a  beauty.  But  one  day  the  chore  boy 
-came  in  and  told  me  my  rooster  was  'dumping  around;  seemed  sick.'  I 
had  him  hrought  into  the  house  and  I  should  think  he  was  sick!  Rags 
of  canker  an  inch  long  hung  from  his  mouth;  his  tongue  was  covered 
and  his  throat  completely  filled.  The  odor  was  terrible  and  my  hus- 
band said  'Kill  him.'  But  I  determined  to  see  what  I  could  do.  I  spread 
new  papers  on  the  floor  and  stood  him  on  them.  My  hus'band  held  his 
bill  apart  while  I,  with  a  long  swab  and  a  solution  of  carbolic  acid  and 
water,  cleaned  all  the  canker  from  his  mouth  and  throat.  I  had  to  dig 
pretty  hard  and  it  hied  freely,  but  it  was  the  only  way.  I  then  blew 
sulphur  into  his  mouth  and  down  his  throat  and  fed  him  on  very  warm 
bread  and  milk.  I  had  to  poke  it  down  him  with  a  stick,  but  I  filled  his 
crop  and  then  put  him  in  a  warm  stall  in  the  barn.  I  burned  everything 
that  I  had  used  about  him.  I  had  to  repeat  this  treatment  twice  a  day 
for  several  days,  but  finally  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  I  had  cured 
a  severe  case  of  roup.  If  it  had  been  a  common  bird  it  would  not  have 
paid  for  the  trouble."  (Rather  heroic  treatment,  but  well  worth 
knowing.) 

Next  to  cholera,  roup  is  the  most  dreaded  disease  among  fowls.  It 
is  very  contagious;  begins  in  the  lining  membrane  of  the  beak,  but  rap- 
idly spreads  until  it  takes  in  the  whole  system.  An  autopsy  usually 
shows  the  liver  and  gall-bladder  full  of  pus.  It  is  oftener  called  by  other 
names,  such  as  diphtheria,  influenza,  bronchitis  or  quinsy.  It  chiefly 
attacks  old  birds,  but  all  ages  may  have  it.  The  flrst  symptoms  are  like 
those  of  a  bad  cold;  especially  marked  are  the  fever  and  thirst.  At  flrst 
the  discharge  from  the  head  is  thin  and  almost  white,  but  rapidly  grows 
thick. 

As  stated,  the  odor  is  very  bad.  The  disease  should  be  checked  in 
the  first  stages,  and  an  eminent  writer  advises  that  in  a  fiock  where 
roup  is  suspected  every  fowl  should  be  examined  under  the  wings  in  the 
morning  to  ascertain  if  the  feathers  are  stuck  together  with  the  dis- 
charge from  the  nostrils  during  the  night.  Visit  the  perches  late  at 
night  and  listen  for  obstructed  breathing.  Immediately  attend  to  reliev- 
ing one  that  breathes  hard  and  remove  it  from  the  flock.  Too  great  care 
cannot  be  observed  in  regard  to  cleanliness  where  this  disease  exists. 
Burn  droppings  and  all.  Feed  warm,  stimulating  food  with  cayenne 
pepper  in  it.  Onions  chopped  flne  and  mixed  with  the  feed  are  helpful. 
Keep  the  patients  warm  and  dry. 

Our  book  says  that  no  known  medicine  will  cure  all  cases  of  roup, 
but  that  German  Roup  Pills  will  cure  when  anything  can.  As  an  accom- 
paniment it  recommends  "three  pills  daily  as  large  as  a  pea,  made  of 
mustard  and  ground  ginger.    Also  give  pepper  tea."  :  .  ' 

Again  we  are  told  to  try  three  pills  a  day,  as  large  as  a  fowl  can 
swallow,  made  of  equal  parts  of  pulverized  sulphur,  powdered  charcoal 


66  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

and  new  yeast  with  stimulant  as  given  above.  In  all  cases  put  powdered 
charcoal  in  the  food.  Castor  oil,  a  teaspoonful  at  a  dose,  is  advisable 
from  beginning  to  finish.  In  the  absence  of  any  other  wash  for  the  beak, 
throat  and  head,  use  castile  soap  and  warm  water.  When  the  discharge 
is  excessive  take  a  common  machine  oil-can  and  inject  some  camphor- 
ated sweet  oil  through  the  external  openings  or  from  the  inside,  through 
the  slits  in  the  roof  of  the  mouth.  Where  excessive  difficulty  in  breath- 
ing exists  steaming  the  head  sometimes  affords  relief.  Take  care  in 
this  operation.  When  a  bird  begins  to  get  well  give  it  a  tincture  of  iron 
tonic,  or  some  of  the  other  tonics  mentioned  in  a  previous  article. 

Of  course,  almost  everyone  has  a  roup  cure,  but  it  would  have  to  be 
a  valuable  fowl  that  we  would  handle  through  a  siege  of  the  loathsome 
disease,  although  if  taken  in  time  it  would  not  be  so  bad.  In  our  opin- 
ion "prevention  is  better  than  cure,"  and  we  have  the  idea  that  dry,  com- 
fortable quarters  will  prevent  roup,  at  least  if  coupled  with  cleanliness 
and  wholesome  food. 

There  is  a  common  canker  among  fowls  that  may  be  mistaken  for 
the  more  dreaded  disease.  Wash  the  parts,  eyes,  mouth  and  throat,  in 
warm  castile  water  if  there  is  a  gummy  discharge.  Clean  out  the  throat 
and  mouth  with  a  weak  solution  of  chlorate  of  potash,  alum  and  water. 
Wash  off  the  canker  and  apply  powdered  borax  in  small  quantities  to  the 
spots  bared  by  the  process.  Powdered  burnt  alum  may  be  good  for 
white  ulcers  on  the  tongue. 

Mites,  Lice,  Sleepiness,  Watery  Eyes. 

More  and  more  as  the  days  go  by  are  we  impressed  with  the  fact 
that  the  "ounce  of  prevention"  is  better  than  the  "pound  of  cure;"  and 
more  and  more  are  we  convinced  that  vermin  and  injudicious  feeding 
are  the  diseases  of  young  chicks.  Our  losses  this  year  have  been  almost 
wholly  along  these  two  lines.  But  as  this  series  of  talks  does  not  deal 
presumably  with  either  of  these,  we  only  pause  to  say  that  if  your  young 
chicks  are  not  doing  well,  vermin  is  almost  sure  to  be  at  the  bottom  of 
the  difficulty,  whether  you  discover  the  pests  or  not.  Here  is  a  place  to 
exercise  your  faith  in  some  of  the  unseen  realities;  yet  ten  to  one  mites 
are  sucking  the  life  out  of  the  little  birds  by  night  and  the  gray  head- 
louse  is  getting  in  its  deadly  work  both  night  and  day.  Use  insect  pow- 
der regularly  whether  you  think  they  need  it  or  not. 

We  have  succeeded  in  killing  a  number  of  fine  birds  this  summer 
by  feeding  them  on  cold,  boiled  potatoes.  At  first  we  were  delighted 
with  the  plan  (feeding  the  potatoes — not  killing  the  chicks).  The  little 
fellows  enjoyed  chasing  the  tempting  white  balls  and  pecking  at  them, 
but  when  there  was  a  failure  to  digest,  resulting  in  the  mass  souring  in 
the  crop,  there  was  the  end  of  enjoyment  for  both  fancier  and  fowl. 
The  crop  became  distended  and  froth  arose  in  the  throat,  producing  gap- 
ing and  finally  suffocation.  Some  of  the  crops  we  opened  and  the  seeth- 
ing stuff  forced  itself  out  with  a  hissing  sound,  but  it  did  not  save  the 
chicken. 

One  other  "fatal  feature"  among  our  young  birds  has  been  prema- 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  67 

ture  wing  feathering.  In  some  instances  a  bird  of  three  or  four  weeks 
would  have  wings  dragging  tlie  ground.  Chicks  of  a  week  have  pro- 
nounced wing  feathers.  Of  course  the  feathers  sap  the  strength  and 
the  bird  droops  and  probably  dies.  Clipping  the  feathers  will  stop  their 
growth  and  help  the  bird. 

Some  of  our  neighbors  have  had  hens  afflicted  with  the  "sleepy 
sickness"  this  summer.  The  bird  droops  around,  sleeping  and  drinking 
— that  is  all.  Giving  them  no  other  drink  than  strong  copperas  water 
effected  a  cure. 

If  your  fowls  have  been  housed  so  poorly  as  to  have  sore,  watery 
eyes,  wash  the  eyes  with  a  weak  solution  of  sulphate  of  zinc,  with  alum 
water,  oT  with  a  solution  of  alum  and  camphor.  Put  sulphur  in  the  food 
and  furnish  clean,  dry  quarters. 

Apoplexy,  Paralysis,  Staggers. 

As  fowls  are  subject  to  apoplexy,  paralysis,  staggers  and  kindred 
diseases,  all  similar  in  symptoms  and  treatment,  it  may  not  be  neces- 
sary to  be  able  to  exactly  discriminate  between  them.  They  are  affec- 
tions of  the  nervous  system  due  to  an  excessive  flow  of  blood  to  the 
brain.  If  unconsciousness  ensues  after  dizziness,  staggering,  whirling 
in  a  circle  and  like  maneuvers,  it  is  probably  apoplexy,  and  as  soon  as 
the  blood  leaves  the  head  the  bird  will  be  all  right.  If,  however,  a 
blood  vessel  is  burst  the  disease  is  paralysis  and  death  is  likely  to  result 
though  there  may  be  only  the  loss  of  the  use  of  the  limb. 

In  any  of  these  cases  turn  a  stream  of  cold  water  on  the  head  until 
the  blood  is  driven  away,  and  afterward  feed  lightly.  Give  aconite  if 
the  skin  is  dry  and  hot;  belladona  for  heat  and  convulsive  movements 
of  the  head.  Nux  vomica  at  the  flrst  indications  of  the  disease  will 
probably  prevent  it.  Give  opium  in  apoplexy.  For  some  days  after 
recovery  begins,  give  five  grains  cf  bromide  of  potassium  twice  a  day. 

Gapes. 

Gapes  sound  as  alarming  to  the  fancier  as  does  croup  to  a  mother; 
and  we  more  often  find  treatment  prescribed  for  this  disease,  in  the  poul- 
try publications,  than  for  any  other.  Of  course  everyone  has  seen  pic- 
tures of  the  gapeworm  and  it  may  be  that  quite  a  number  have  seen  the 
original  of  the  picture.  At  best  they  are  not  pretty  things  and  they  are 
alarmingly  prolific.  There  are  a  number  of  theories  rife  as  to  how  the 
eggs  are  carried,  one  being  that  lice  carry  them,  another  that  the  gape- 
worm  is  one  of  the  forms  assumed  by  the  louse.  Constant  gaping  is  the 
symptom,  but  is  attended  by  difficult  breathing,  coughing,  wheezing, 
attempts  to  swallow,  droopy  appearance.  Of  course  there  is  gaping 
without  gapes,  as  we  have  already  said,  but  it  does  not  take  a  long  time 
for  an  over  critical  observer  to  determine  the  real  disease. 

For  treatment  for  gapes  we  have  found  small  pills  of  camphor  gum 
excellent.  Some  prefer  to  put  clear  carbolic  acid  into  an  iron  spoon  and 
hold  it  over  a  burning  lamp  until  dense  white  fumes  envelop  the  bird's 
head.  Vapor  from  burning  creosote  or  turpentine,  or  the  fumes  from 
sulRhur  will  do  nearly  or  quite  as  well  if  properly  applied. 


68  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

There  are  still  others  who  adhere  to  the  practice  of  swabbing  the 
throat  with  a  feather  wet  in  kerosene,  turpentine,  strong  salt  water,  or 
a  weak  decoction  of  tobacco.  Our  book  says:, "Powdered  alum  or  sul- 
phur, blown  down  the  windpipe,  will  often  kill  the  worms"  (and  patient, 
too,  if  administered  too  freely  or  too  often).  Some  resort  to  crushed 
corn,  soaked  in  kerosene  oil  or  alum  water,  but  we  could  never  get  our 
fowls  to  eat  enough  of  such  diet  to  work  wonders. 

Here  again  the  ounce  of  prevention  is  much  handier  and  cheaper 
than  the  pound  of  cure.  If  the  drinking  water  is  suspected,  boil  it.  If 
a  fowl  is  attacked  with  the  gapes  remove  it  at  once  from  the  rest  and 
burn  all  food,  perches,  anything  and  everything  that  it  has  come  in 
•contact  with.  Where  this  cannot  be  done,  soak  everything  in  kerosene 
oil  or  carbolic  acid.  Perfect  cleanliness  and  a  change  of  food  may  work 
wonders  in  an  infected  flock. 

Worms. 

Worms  in  the  stomach  and  indigestion  are  much  alike  in  symptoms, 
but  otherwise  very  unlike. 

A  well-known  breeder  and  authority  thus  describes  a  hen  he  bought 
in  a  high-priced  trio:  "I  saw  at  a  glance  that  there  was  something 
wrong.  She  was  emaciated;  had  the  appearance  of  chronic  diarrhea, 
and  ate  ravenously.  I  watched  the  spot  where  the  bird  roosted  amd 
found  indications  of  mucus  and  slime,  which,  to  my  mind,  pointed  to 
worms.  I  shut  her  up  forty-eight  hours,  without  food,  and  then  gave 
her  two-thirds  of  a  teaspoonful  areca  nut  powder.  The  next  morning 
about  twenty  long,  white  worms  lay  coiled  together  where  she  had 
dropped  them.  I  then  gave  one-half  teaspoonful  castor  oil  and  she  got 
well." 

Personally,  we  use  santonine. 

Diarrhea,  Dysentery. 

Diarrhea  and  dysentery  may  result  from  tainted  food,  impure  water, 
extreme  heat,  filthy  quarters,  inflamed  intestines,  etc.  In  dysentery  the 
droppings  are  frothy  and  mingled  with  blood.  The  bird  fails  rapidly. 
In  common  diarrhea  the  droppings  ore  of  various  colors  and  befoul  the 
feathers.  In  old  female  birds  there  is  sometimes  a  continual  white  dis- 
charge, which  indicates  a  low  state  of  the  system  and  something  wrong 
in  the  shell  making  function. 

There  are  a  number  of  remedies  for  these  troubles,  one  perhaps  as 
good  as  another.  In  early  stages,  finely  powdered  chalk  on  boiled  rice 
will  do.  For  the  trouble  mentioned  with  the  old  fowls  the  powdered 
chalk  and  rice  is  a  good  remedj%  as  is  also  lime  water. 

In  all  these  cases  a  pill,  to  be  taken  twice  a  day  and  made  as  fol- 
lows, is  highly  recommended:  Five  grains  powdered  chalk,  five  of 
rhubarb  and  three  of  cayenne  pepper,  adding  one-half  a  grain  of  opium 
in  severe  cases.  Camphorated  spirits  is  another  efficacious  remedy- 
three  to  six  grains,  on  barley  meal,  to  each  fowl,  or  fifteen  drops  or  so  in 
a  pint  of  drinking  water.  A  little  alum  or  tincture  of  iron  in  the  drink- 
ing water  is  also  beneficial. 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  69 

In  an  assured  case  of  dysentery,  the  odds  are  against  the  bird,  but  if 
it  is  worth  saving  put  it  on  a  diet  of  milk  gruel  and  give  a  dose  of  castor 
oil,  to  be  followed  by  four  or  five  drops  of  laudanum  every  three  hours. 
Keep  the  patient  in  a  dry,  moderately  warm  place.  If  diarrhea  becomes 
chronic  try  frequent  small  doses  of  sweet  oil.  Bone  dust  is  a  preventive 
of  this  disorder,  and  it  is  well  to  use  it  for  some  days  after  a  case  is  pro- 
nounced cured.  In  all  these  difficulties  one  must  keep  the  eye  open  for 
cholera. 

Cholera. 

Speaking  of  cholera,  have  any  of  our  fanciers  tried  vaccination? 

W.  H.  Griffith,  of  Zanesville,  Ohio,  writes:  "Vaccinate  a  hen  and 
in  eight  days  her  system  will  be  thoroughly  inoculated;  then  cut  off 
her  head  and  catch  all  her  blood  in  a  vessel;  then  pour  it  on  some  paper 
to  dry.  A  half  drop  of  this  dried  blood  is  sufficient  to  vaccinate  a  fowl. 
Catch  the  bird,  scratch  or  cut  a  place  on  the  thigh  so  as  to  nearly  start 
the  blood  and  upon  this  place  the  bit  of  paper  on  which  the  virus  has 
dried  and  let  the  fowl  run.  You  need  not  fear  of  its  ever  having  cholera. 
During  the  last  two  years  I  have  vaccinated  the  poultry  in  nineteen 
yards  where  cholera  was  prevailing  badly.  All  died  that  were  not  oper- 
ated on.     Out  of  two  thousand  vaccinated  only  eleven  died.'' 

The  above  is  interesting  to  say  the  least.  The  virus,  we  believe, 
may  be  obtained  at  many  of  our  University  Experiment  Stations. 

Another  writer  tells  of  his  success  in  curing  cholera  with  table  salt; 
also  Epsom  salts. 

Constipation. 

In  constipation  among  fowls  add  ten  drops  of  sulphate  of  magnesia 
to  each  pint  of  drinking  water. 

If  yoa  have  homeopathic  remedies  give  nux  vomica,  aconite  and 
bryonia  in  the  sized  doses  mentioned  for  such  remedies  in  a  former 
article. 

Consumption. 

If  a  cold  or  catarrh  runs  into  consumption,  dispatch  the  bird  at  once. 
There  is  no  cure. 

Rheumatism. 

Rheumatism  sometimes  results  from  damp  quarters  or  running  in 
the  wet  grass.  If  it  affects  the  legs,  bathe  them  with  very  warm  mus- 
tard water,  wipe  dry  and  anoint  with  witch-hazel  ointment,  lard  or 
sweet  oil. 

Leg  Weakness. 

For  leg  weakness  give  rest,  nourishment  and  tonic.  Raw  fresh  egg 
and  a  little  cooked  meat  are  strengthening.  Give  iron  in  the  drinking 
water. 

The  chief  chief  spmptom  of  leg-weakness  is  the  fashion  of  contin- 
ually squatting  on  the  hocks.  Wheat,  barley  and  other  articles  that  do 
not  tend  to  make  fat  may  be  fed.  If  the  weather  is  warm  bathe  the  legs 
two  or  three  times  a  day  in  cold  water.  Lime  water  may  be  helpful. 
As  a  remedy  give  a  pill  three  times  a  day,  made  as  follows:     Five  grains 


70  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

phosphate  of  lime,  one-sixteenth  of  a  grain  of  strychnine  and  one-half 
grain  of  sulphate  of  quinine. 

Molting. 

During  the  molting  season  too  much  care  cannot  be  given  the  fowls, 
as  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  they  (especially  the  laying  hens) 
get  through  quickly  and  without  deterioration.  Keep  iron,  at  least 
rusty  nails,  in  the  drinking  water;  feed  lean  meat  and  add  a  teaspoonful 
of  Douglas  Mixture  to  each  pint  of  drinking  water.  Give  soft,  warm 
food  in  the  morning  and  grain  at  night. 

Calcarea  carbonica  is  also  a  valuable  remedy. 

Broken  Bones. 

In  case  of  broken  bones,  unless  the  bird  is  very  valuable,  the  sooner 
its  misery  is  ended  the  better.  However,  should  you  have  occasion  to 
set  a  broken  leg,  bring  the  ends  together  until  they  fit  neatly  to  the 
touch  and  cover  the  part  with  thick  paper  previously  soaked  in  white 
of  egg  or  mucilage.  Bind  on  bits  of  pasteboard,  being  careful  that  all 
the  dressing  fits  the  leg  neatly.  Keep  the  bird  by  itself  and  try  to  pre- 
vent its  moving  or  using  the  limb.  If  fever  ensues,  give  aconite  inter- 
nally and  shower  the  leg  with  cold  water. 

Injuries;  Torn  Side. 
We  had  two  valuable  hens  badly  torn  and  lacerated  on  the  sid'^ 
under  the  wing;  one  it  seemed  a  sin  to  let  live  an  hour.  She  appeared 
to  feel  well,  however,  and  as  we  had  just  paid  a  large  price  for  them,  we 
thought  best  to  try  to  save  them.  First  we  washed  the  wounds  out 
carefully  with  warm  water  and  castile  soap,  dusted  in  iodoform  and 
bound  new  unbleached  muslin  about  their  bodies.  They  improved 
slowly  until  one  day  one  of  the  hens  simply  horrified  us  by  slipping  her 
bandage  and  giving  herself  a  thorough  dusting.  But  lo,  from  that  hour 
her  recovery  savored  of  the  miraculous!     Blessed  Mother  Nature! 

VELMA  C.  MELVILLE. 


TAPEWORM. 

There  was  brought  to  the  Reliable  Poultry  Journal  office  in  Febru- 
ary, 1897,  a  bottle  of  alcohol  containing  a  tapeworm  three  feet  long, 
which  came  away  from  a  Golden  Wyandotte  hen.  The  worm  was  com- 
plete, head  and  all.  The  hen  in  question  ate  heartily,  but  lost  flesh  and 
gradually  weakened.  The  owner  could  not  discover  what  was  the  matter 
with  her.  She  had  no  cold,  ate  well,  but  became  distressingly  poor  and 
weak.  Finally  he  thought  of  worms.  ■  Acting  on  this  theory,  he  kept 
her  without  food  for  thirty-six  hours,  then  gave  her  a  full  feed  of  stewed 
garlic,  cut  in  short  lengths.  She  ate  heartily  of  this  and  the  next  day 
the  owner  had  the  three-foot  tapeworm  in  alcohol.  The  hen  began  to 
mend  immediately,  regained  her  normal  flesh,  and  was  soon  as  well  as 
ever. 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  71 

COLDS. 

Fowls  easily  catch  cold,  especially  when  roosting  in  a  draft.  The 
eyes  water  the  nostrils  give  ofl.  a  thin  liquid  and  the  face  becomes  red 
and  more  or  less  swollen.  Simple,  so-called  roup  remedies  will  correct 
this.  A  common  practice  is  to  clean  out  the  nostrils  with  a  piece  of 
soft  cloth  and  inject  into  each  nostril,  also  into  the  cleft  in  the  roof  of 
the  mouth,  a  couple  of  drops  of  a  half  and  half  mixture  of  sweet  oil  and 
kerosene,  to  which  has  been  added  a  little  carbolic  acid,  five  to  ten  drops 
to  a  gill  of  the  oils,  or  a  little  turpentine.  Also  rub  some  of  the  mixture 
on  comb  and  face.  Keep  the  birds  up  for  three  or  four  days,  or  longer, 
if  necessary,  protecting  them  from  all  drafts  and  feeding  soft  food  spar- 
ingly.    Do  not  feed  much  of  anything. 

Smoking  Resin  for  Colds. 
A  subscriber  to  the  Reliable  Poultry  Journal  relates  the  following 
experience  with  chickens  which  she  found  with  swelled  heads,  some 
being  totally  blind:  "We  prepared  a  hospital  and  smoked  them  with 
resin,  putting  a  piece  of  resin  the  size  of  a  walnut  on  some  live  coals  in 
a  vessel  in  the  hospital.  In  bad  cases  we  put  them  in  a  separate  box 
and  anointed  the  head  and  eyes  with  lard  and  kerosene  oil,  with  a  drop 
or  two  of  carbolic  acid  in  the  mixture,  and  in  a  day  or  two  they  were  all 
right." 

Vaseline  for  Colds. 

Another  correspondent  says  he  has  cured  even  the  most  severe 
cases  of  cold  with  vaseline  alone  in  from  one  to  four  days.  He  anoints 
the  head  and  in  bad  cases  puts  a  little  in  the  mouth.  Since  he  discov- 
ered the  above  remedy,  he  says  he  has  never  lost  a  bird  from  colds  or 
roup. 

How  to  Avoid  Colds  in  Fowls. 

Ordinary  colds  are  not  due  to  bad  food  or  filth,  and  are  not  contag- 
ious, but  they  can  usually  be  traced  to  one  cause — some  vault  in  the 
roosting  quarters.  Chickens  should  not  roost  in  boxes  in  summer  time, 
nor  should  more  than  ten  or  fifteen  roost  together  on  the  fioor.  It  is  in 
roosting  on  the  ground  that  the  greatest  harm  is  done.  Twenty  or 
thirty  chickens  may  roost  on  perches  and  not  get  overheated  from 
crowding,  but  if  the  same  number  roost  on  the  fioor,  or  even  out  in  the 
open  air  on  the  ground,  no  matter  how  warm  the  weather,  they  will 
bunch  up  together  and  those  in  the  middle  get  overheated  and  take  cold. 
Chicks  that  roost  on  perches  in  the  open  air  have  the  least  trouble  with 
colds.-  For  summer  roosts  we  make  a  scaffold  five  or  six  feet  high  and 
cover  it  with  brush  and  weeds,  which  will  keep  off  the  heavy  rains,  and 
also  the  sun.  Under  this,  two  feet  from  the  ground,  place  the  perches. 
As  soon  as  the  chicks  are  well  feathered  out  remove  the  coop  and  place 
the  arbor  with  perches  in  its  stead. 

COLDS  AND  INDIGESTION. 

"Where  a  cold  is  accompanied  by  a  looseness  of  the  bowels,  pills 
made  as  follows  are'  recommended  by  the  North  Carolina  Experiment 


72  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

Station  and  have  proved  effective  on  Reliable  Poultry  Farm:  One  table- 
spoonful  of  lard,  two  tablespoonfuls  of  mustard,  ginger  and  cayenne  pep- 
per. "Work  together  thoroughly  and  stiffen  with  flour;  make  into  pills- 
about  the  size  of  the  first  joint  of  the  little  finger.  Give  one  pill  twice 
or  three  times  a  day,  according  to  the  severity  of  the  case.  In  mild 
cases  give  one  pill  each  day,  evening  preferred. 

AIR  PUFF,  OR  EMPHYSEMA. 

There  is  a  disease  from  which  chickens  suffer  called  emphysema, 
"air  in  the  tissues."  It  reaches  the  blood  through  the  lungs.  When  the- 
lung  trouble  is  remedied,  which  nature  alone  can  do,  the  emphysema 
stops,  and  if  not  too  excessive,  the  air  will  gradually  disappear  from  the 
tissues  by  absorption;  but  if  it  is  very  abundant,  it  may  result  in  death. 

Some  relief  may  be  rendered  by  pricking  the  skin  and  allowing  the 
air  near  the  surface  of  the  body  to  escape.  Indeed,  this  may  save 
life  in  some  cases  that  would  die  if  left  to  nature,  but  it  will  not  save 
life  in  all  cases.  The  lung  trouble  upon  which  the  emphysema  depends 
is  one  of  a  transmatic  character — a  wound  of  the  lungs,  or  an  abrasion 
of  lung  tissue,  resulting  from  violence  of  some  kind.  Chicks  that  get 
trampled  on  by  their  mothers,  or  cockerels  that  fight,  are  more  liable  to- 
suffer  from  injuries  that  result  in  emphysema — they  become  inflated 
with  air. 

LEG  WEAKNESS. 

Leg  weakness  is  generally  due  to  the  body  increasing  in  weight  out 
of  proportion  to  the  strengtli  of  the  legs.  This  is  the  usual  cause,  but 
any  disease  that  weakens  the  chick  may  cause  it.  The  disease  usually 
be  beneficial,  must  be  resorted  to  on  the  appearance  of  the  first  simp- 
toms  are  a  trembling  in  the  legs  and  a  disposition  to  rest  on  the  hocks. 
If  the  bird  is  vigorous  it  will  outgrow  the  trouble,  but  any  treatment,  to 
be  beneficial,  must  be  resorted  to  on  the  appearance  of  the  first  simp- 
toms.  For  food,  give  bran,  wheat  and  oatmeal;  instead  of  water,  give 
skim  milk.  Cook  the  oatmeal,  and  when  cool,  add  thirty  drops  of 
diluted  phosphoric  acid  for  each  bird  affected,  and  give  twice  daily.  Be 
careful  to  not  confound  leg  weakness  with  rheumatism.  In  the  latter 
disease  there  is  always  swelling  of  the  joints.  If  ducks  are  attacked 
by  leg  weakness,  feed  them  more  bulky  food,  bran,  shipstuff,  etc.  Give 
them  chopped  vegetables.  Stop  giving  them  corn  until  they  are  strongs 
again.     Then  feed  in  moderation. 

LIMBER  NECK. 

Chicks  are  sometimes  affected  in  this  manner,  caused,  perhaps,  by 
unusually  hot  days  and  nights.  A  remedy  that  has  been  successfully 
used  is  this:  Hypo-sulphite  of  soda;  dissolve  one  teaspoonful  in  half  a 
cup  of  water,  and  give  a  teaspoonful  of  the  mixture  to  each  affected  fowl 
every  two  or  three  hours.  A  teaspoonful  of  the  hypo-sulphite  in  a  quart 
of  drinking  water  is  also  a  good  remedy. 

The  following  is  said  to  never  fail:  Give  the  affected  bird  a  piece 
of  assafoetida  about  the  size  of  a  green  pea.  Use  the  gum  form.  Repeat 
the  dose  the  second  day,  and  the  trouble  gradually  disappears. 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  73 

FEATHER  EATING. 

This  mischievous  hahit  is  the  result  of  confining  fowls  too  closely 
and  allowing  them  to  be  idle.  One  preventive  is  to  keep  the  fowls  busy 
as  much  of  the  time  as  possible  scratching  for  their  daily  bread.  A 
strip  of  salt  pork  hung  up  in  the  hen  house  is  a  preventive  and  will 
sometimes  check  the  trouble.  Another  effective  remedy  is  to^  bathe  the 
feathers  that  are  being  plucked  out  with  a  half  and  half  mixture  of 
whisky  and  aloes.  Aloes  can  be  obtained  in  small  quantities  at  any 
drug  store.  As  soon  as  the  fowls  are  given  liberty  they  will  get  over 
this  habit. 

MOLTING  HENS. 

During  the  molting  period  when  the  fowls  are  undergoing  a  severe 
strain,  it  is  well  to  feed  good  green  bone  in  liberal  amount,  also,  to  mix 
linseed  meal  with  the  soft  food.  The  process  of  putting  on  a  full  new 
coat  of  feathers  is  a  drain  on  the  system  which  good  green  bone  and  the 
linseed  meal  will  largely  counteract.  Or  give  them  a  generous  supply 
of  bone  meal,  charcoal,  meat  and  vegetables.  Tincture  of  iron  in  the 
drinking  water,  and  a  few  pinches  of  red  pepper  occasionally,  make  a 
tonic  for  them. 

KEROSENE  EMULSION  FOR  LICE. 

There  is  no  question  of  the  value  of  kerosene  emulsion,  or  its  safety 
when  properly  made  and  used,  and  its  cheapness  makes  possible  its  free 
use  up  to  saturation  of  all  cracks  and  crevices.  It  should  be  made  of 
strong  whale  oil  soap;  one-half  pound;  kerosene,  two  gallons.  Shave  the 
soap  into  thin  slices  and  dissolve  in  boiling  water.  When  fully  dis- 
solved and  boiling  hot,  add  the  kerosene,  away  from  the  fire,  and  vio- 
lently churn  the  solution  into  a  thick  cream.  Churn  and  agitate  vio- 
lently for  twenty  minutes.  If  the  oil  and  water  separate  on  standing, 
then  the  soap  was  not  caustic  enough.  Add  to  this  ten  gallons  of  water 
and  spray  the  whole  outfit  to  saturation.  This  solution  can  be  made  by 
the  barrelful  and  if  well  emulsified  will  keep  indefinitely,  to  be  diluted 
when  needed. 

DOUGLAS  MIXTURE. 

"Douglas  Mixture"  is  made  thus:  Take  of  sulphate  of  iron  (com- 
mon copperas)  eight  ounces;  sulphuric  acid,  one-half  fiuid  ounce.  Put 
into  a  bottle  or  jug,  one  gallon  of  water,  into  this  put  the  sulphate  of 
iron.  As  soon  as  the  iron  is  dissolved  add  the  acid,  and  when  it  Is  clear, 
the  "mixture"  is  ready  for  use.  In  hot  weather  or  when  the  flock  is 
small,  less  may  be  prepared  at  once,  but  the  above  proportion  should 
be  observed.  This  "mixture"  or  tonic  should  be  given  in  the  drinking 
water  every  other  day — a  gill  for  every  twenty-five  head  is  not  too  much 
and  where  there  is  infection  it  must  be  used  every  day,  but  where  there 
is  no  disease,  not  so  often,  or  in  smaller  quantities  if  it  be  used  every 
day.  This  preparation,  simple  as  it  is,  is  one  of  the  best  tonics  for  poul- 
try known.  It  is  alterative  as  well  as  tonic,  and  possesses,  besides,  anti- 
septic properties  which  make  it  a  remedy  as  well  as  a  tonic. 


74  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

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to  one  hundred  and  sixty-four  pages  monthly.  The  regular  subscription 
price  is  fifty  cents  a  year,  but  any  reader  of  these  lines  who  will  order 
one  of  the  fifty-cent  books  named  below  may  secure  it  and  the  Journal 
for  75c. 

THE  AMERICAN  STANDARD  OF  PERFECTION 

This  is  the  book  used  as  a  guide  in  producing  standard  bred,  or  exhi- 
bition fowls.  It  is  published  and  copyrighted  by  the  American  Poultry 
Association,  and  is  the  only  authorized  guide  for  standard  breeding.  It 
is  the  book  that  poultry  judges  use  at  the  poultry  shows,  and  the  book 
on  which  all  comparison  and  score-card  judging  is  based.  It  consists  of 
over  200  pages,  is  durably  bound  in  cloth,  and  the  price  $1  per  copy, 
postpaid,  is  fixed  by  the  publishers  and  owners  of  the  copyright,  the 
American  Poultry  Association.  In  this  book  will  be  found  the  names 
of  every  breed  and  variety  of  chickens,  turkeys,  ducks  and  geese,  and  a 
minute  description  of  each  variety,  male  and  female,  covering  every  sec- 
tion, in  both  shape  and  feathering.  "We  carry  the  "Standard  of  Perfec- 
tion" in  stock,  and  supply  it,  postpaid,  at  the  established  price,  $1  per 
copy. 

SUCCESS  WITH  POULTRY. 

This  book  treats  quite  exhaustively  of  all  branches  of  poultry  keep- 
ing for  profit,  including  the  production  of  standard-bred  or  exhibition 
fowls,  egg  farming,  broilers,  roasters,  capons,  ducks,  geese  and  turkeys. 
It  was  compiled  and  edited  by  Grant  M.  Curtis,  editor  of  the  Reliable 
Poultry  Journal,  and  intended  expressly  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  many 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  75 

persons  who  think  favorably  of  taking  up  some  branch  of  the  poultry 
business  for  profit.  It  is  an  earnest  book,  meant  for  earnest  people,  and 
the  reader  can  readily  determine  which  branch  of  the  poultry  business 
is  best  adapted  to  his  locality,  personal  resources  and  taste.  "Success 
With  Poultry"  has  just  been  thoroughly  revised  and  enlarged,  the  fourth 
edition  now  being  offered  to  the  public.  Over  25,000  copies  of  this  book 
have  been  sold.  The  regular  price  is  $1,  but  any  reader  of  these  lines 
who  will  order  a  dollar's  worth  of  books  advertised  herein  (the  Standard 
of  Perfection  excepted)  may  in  addition  secure  a  copy  of  "Success  With 
Poultry"  at  50c. 

ARTIFICIAL  INCUBATING  AND  BROODING. 

The  greatest  strictly  practical  work  ever  compiled  on  this  important 
subject.  It  is  the  greatest  because  it  is  the  most  up-to-date,  the  most 
practical,  the  best  illustrated,  and  is  contributed  to  by  the  most  expert 
authorities  in  the  world.  This  book  contains  140  pages,  12x9  inches  in 
size,  with  over  100  illustrations,  among  the  number  being  eight  full-page 
copyrighted  designs  of  modern  brooder  houses,  laying  houses  and  incu- 
bator cellars.  It  contains  full  and  complete  instructions  on  the  use  and 
abuse  of  incubators.  It  tells  how  to  start  right  in  hatching  and  rais'ng 
chickens  by  artificial  means,  and  how  to  GO  right.     Price,  50c. 

DUCKS  AND  GEESE. 

This  is  the  only  complete  work  of  the  kind  on  the  market.  It  has 
just  been  issued  from  the  presses,  and  covers  the  subject  exhaustively. 
The  production  of  Pekin  Ducks  for  market,  both  in  small  and  large 
quantities,  occupies  the  position  of  prominence  In  the  book,  for  the 
Pekin  Duck  industry  is  already  one  of  large  proportions,  and  is  destined 
to  increase  rapidly.  The  production  of  geese  for  market  purposes  com- 
prises an  important  part  of  the  book,  with  handsome  full-page  illustra- 
tions of  Toulouse  Geese  and  Pekin  Ducks,  by  Franklane  L.  Sewell; 
also  numerous  half-tone  plates,  showing  ducks  and  geese  of  other  vari- 
eties. Persons  who  are  interested  in  the  breeding  of  water  fowl,  or  in 
the  production  of  ducks  and  geese  for  market,  will  find  in  this  book  the 
information  they  are  looking  for.     Price,  50c. 

TURKEYS — Their  Care  and  Management. 

This  book  will  be  issued  from  the  presses  in  April,  1901,  and 
will  contain  all  the  information  necessary  to  achieve  success  in  the  rais- 
ing of  turkeys,  either  in  small  or  large  numbers.  It  will  contain  a  beau- 
tiful color-plate  frontispiece  showing  a  pair  of  Mammoth  Bronze  Tur- 
keys, male  and  female,  reproduced  from  an  oil  painting,  made  from 
life,  by  Franklane  L.  Sewell.  It  will  also  contain  numerous  other  illus- 
trations, some  of  them  made  expressly  for  this  work.  Among  the  con- 
tributors will  be  found  the  'best-known  and  most  successful  turkey  rais- 


76  RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES. 

ers  in  this  country,  the  leading  article  being  contributed  by  Mr.  J.  P. 
Crangle,  for  many  years  manager  of  Fisher's  Island  Poultry  Farm, 
where  turkeys  are  raised  in  large  numbers.  Persons  who  are  raising, 
turkeys,  or  who  purpose  doing  so,  will  find  this  book  of  great  help  and 
value  to  them.     Price,  50c. 

EGGS  AND  EGG  FARMS. 

No  more  practical  or  interesting  poultry  book  has  been  published 
than  this  one.  It  is  a  money-maker  from  cover  to  cover.  Every  poultry 
keeper  is  interested  in  getting  more  eggs,  no  matter  whether  he  keeps  a 
few  hens  or  a  great  number.  We  doubt  if  there  is  a  more  profitable 
branch  of  the  poultry  business  than  egg  farming.  This  book  is  con- 
tributed to  by  the  best  authorities  in  the  country.  The  question  of  an 
increased  egg  yield  is  fully  covered  in  a  reliable  manner,  and  what  is. 
being  done,  and  what  can  be  done,  on  so-called  egg  farms,  that  is,  on 
poultry  plants  devoted  almost  exclusively  to  egg  production,  is  treated 
exhaustively.  The  different  foods  and  food  rations  are  compared,  and 
numerous  experiments  made  by  capable,  painstaking  men  are  reported. 
This  book  also  contains  the  latest  plans  for  building  laying  houses,  both 
large  and  small.  It  consists  of  80  pages,  9x12  inches,  and  is  fully  illus- 
trated.    Price,  50c. 

PLYMOUTH  ROCKS— Barred,  White  and  Buff. 

This  book  was  issued  from  the  press  April,  1899.  It  consists  of  80 
pages,  9x12  in  size,  and  a  handsome  cover.  It  contains  an  elegant  col- 
ored plate  of  a  pair  of  Barred  Plymouth  Rocks,  shown  in  their  natural 
colors,  reproduced  from  an  oil  painting  made  by  the  world's  greatest 
poultry  artist,  Franklane  L.  Sewell.  Among  the  contributoi's  of  original 
and  copyrighted  articles  treating  on  the  Barred  Rocks  are  the  follow- 
ing: A.  C.  Hawkins,  E.  B.  Thompson,  Bradley  Bros.,  William  Ellery 
Bright,  C.  H.  Latham,  P.  W.  Richardson,  Theo.  Hewes,  F.  W.  Hitch- 
cock, W.  S.  Russell,  C.  A.  Emry,  S.  S.  Noble,  and  many  others.  Every 
line  in  the  book  is  written  by  a  well  known  breeder.     Price,  50c. 

WYANDOTTES— Silver,  Golden,  White  and  Buff. 

This  book  was  issued  December  1,  1899,  and  is  the  handsomest  and 
most  complete  book  ever  published  on  this  popular  American  breed.  It 
consists  of  64  large  pages,  9x12  inches,  with  a  beautiful  color-plate 
frontispiece  showing  a  pair  of  prize-winning  White  Wyandottes;  also 
original  Hewes  charts,  showing  proper  lacing  of  the  Silver  and  Golden 
Wyandottes  in  every  section;  also  full-page  illustrations  of  Silver, 
Golden  and  Buff  Wyandottes,  represented  in  pairs,  drawn  expressly  for 
this  book  by  the  great  poultry  artist,  Franklane  L.  Sewell.  The  num- 
erous contributors  to  this  book  include  America's  foremost  breeders  of 
the  different  varieties  of  Wyandottes.     Price,  50c. 


RELIABLE  POULTRY  REMEDIES.  77 

THE  LEGHORNS— All  Varieties. 

This  is  a  breed  book,  consisting  of  64  pages,  9x12  inches,  and  is  in 
line  with  the  books  on  the  Barred  Plymouth  Rocks  and  Wyandottes 
described  herewith.  It  is  the  first  book  issued  that  is  devoted  exclus- 
ively to  the  Leghorns.  It  contains  original,  copyrighted  Hewes  charts, 
showing  standard  Leghorn  shape,  also  correct  striping  for  Brown  Leg- 
horns, both  Single  and  Rose  Comb.  Its  full-page  charts  were  executed 
by  Franklane  L.  Sewell,  under  directions  of  Theodore  Hewes, 
judge  and  breeder.  The  book  contains  full-page  illustrations  of  the 
different  varieties  of  Leghorns,  and  is  contributed  to  by  over  thirty  of 
the  country's  foremost  Leghorn  breeders.  Every  line  in  the  book  is 
new  and  original.  In  this  book,  the  same  as  in  the  books  on  Plymouth 
Rocks  and  Wyandottes,  Mr.  Hewes  gives  detailed  instructions  for  scor- 
ing, including  discounts  for  defects,  etc.     Price,  50c. 

POULTRY  HOUSES  AND  FIXTURES. 

This  book  consists  of  32  pages,  9x12  inches  in  size,  and  con- 
tains the  latest  designs  of  practical  poultry  buildings  for  the  city  lot, 
the  .village  acre  or  the  farm;  also  several  complete  and  convenient 
houses  for  the  fancier  and  complete  plans  for  extensive  poultry  farms. 
It  also  contains  illustrations  and  descriptions  of  a  large  number  of  time- 
saving,  labor-saving  poultry  devices,  including  handy  perches,  safety 
nest  boxes,  etc.,  etc.     Price,  25c. 

THE  BANTAM  FOWL. 

This  book  is  the  first  complete  and  fully  illustrated  Bantam  Book 
ever  published  in  this  country.  The  editor,  T.  F.  McGrew,  judge  and 
breeder,  of  New  York  City,  has  spent  many  months  of  time  collecting  and 
writing  the  matter  for  it,  and  over  sixty  original  copyrighted  illustra- 
tions have  been  made  expressly  for  this  book.  Any  person  who  is  inter- 
ested in  Bantams,  either  as  pets  or  for  profit,  will  want  a  copy  of  "The 
^Bantam  Fowl."     Price,  50c 


CONTENTS. 

Air  Foul  and  Filthy  Quarters 9 

Air  Puff,  or  Empiliyisemia 72 

Ailments ;  Sprling 31 

Apoplexy 55,  67 

Atrophy 34 

Balancing  Grain  and  Vegetable;;-!   13 

Black-Rot   52 

Bones;  Broken 70 

Bowel  Trouble   63 

Break-down   £0 

Broken  Bones '. 70 

Broken  Shanks  26 

Bronchitis '. ; 42 

Brood;  Too  Many  C'hicks  in  a  9 

Brooder  Chicks ;  Tuberculosis  iu   32 

Bumble  Foot  25 

Bumble  Foot ;  High  Roosts  Cause   11 

Canker 16,  65 

Catarrh  17 

Chicken-Pox 54 

Chicks  in  a  Brood ;  Too  Many  9 

Chicks ;  Tuberculosis  in  Brood'er 32 

Cholera  38,  62,  69 

Cold  and  Heat  8 

Colds  62,  71 

Colds  in  Fowls;  How  to  Avoiid  71 

Oomibs;  The    50,   53 

Comb;   White   51 

Condiments  in  Excess  Are  Harmful   12 

Constipation .34,  62,  63,  69 

Consumption 46,  69 

Cramps 26 

Crop-bound 28 

Crop;  Enlarged  29 

Crop ;  Infla  ramation  of  the  29 

Crowding;  Overheating  from   •. 9 

Diarrhea   18,  68 

Diet ;  Exclusively  Grain 14 

Diptherli'a 15 

Disease  Breeder ;  Impure  Water  a 7 

Douglas  Mixture  73 

Drafts  and  Imperfect  Venitilatiou  9 

Droppings-iboards    11 


CONTENTS.  79 

Dropsy  4i 

Dropsy  of  Feet  24 

Dysentery  41,  68 

Eating  Feathers  73 

Eczema  54 

Egg-bound   35 

Egg-Passage ;  Inflammation  of  36 

Eggs;  Soft-Shelled 37 

Emphysema  or  Air  Puff 72 

Emulsion  for  Lice ;  Kerosene 73 

Enlarged  Crop 29 

Exercise;  Right  Amount  of 10 

Exposure  in  Shipping  13 

Exposure ;  Protection  from   10 

Eyes  Watery  66 

Feather-Eating    73 

Feeding;  Care  Required  in 10 

Feet;  Dropsy  of  24 

Filthy  or  Wet  Quarters  7,  9 

Fish  Skin  Disease  24 

Food;  Too  Little  and  Too  Much  15 

Foot ;  Bumble   25 

Foul  Air  and  Filthy  Quarters 9 

Frost  Bite  , 53 

Fungoid  51 

Gapes   57,  67 

Gastritis 30 

Grain  and  Vegetables;  Balancing  13 

Grain   Diet  Exclusively    14 

Grit;  Necessity  of  7 

Heat  and  Odd 8 

Hepiatitas  or  Inflamm.ation  50 

Impure  Water  a  Disease  Breeder  7 

Inbreeding  and  Its  Limits  .■ 5 

Indigestion  30,  60,  62,  71 

Inflammation  or  Hepatitas  50 

Inflammation  of  Egg  Passage   36 

Inflammation  of  tihe  Crop   29 

Injuries   53,   70 

Kerosene  Emulsion  for  Lice   73 

Legs;  Scaly 23 

Leg  Weakness 25,  69,  72 

Lice   11,  66,  73 

Limber  Neck   72 

Liver ;  The  33,  49 

Lungs;  The ...42 

Mites  66,  73 


80  CONTENTS. 

Molting 70,  73 

Neck;  Limber  72 

Overheating  from  Crowding  9 

Paralj^sis 67 

Peritoniitis    35 

Pip   22,  63 

Pneumonia    44 

Poison;  Safeguards  Against 13 

Pox;  Cliicken  54 

Quiarters ;  Filthy  or  Wet  7,  9 

Resin  for  Colds ;  Smoking   71 

Rheumatism   27,   69 

Rot;  Black  52 

Roundiworm ;    The    56 

Roup   19,   21,   65 

Scaly  Legs   23 

Shade  from  Sun;  Lack  of i 10 

Shanks;  Broken   26 

Skin  Diseiase  24 

Sleepiness   66 

Soft-Shelled  Eggs  37 

Spring  Ailments   31 

Staggers   67 

Sunshine 12 

Sun ;  Lack  of  Shade  from   10 

Symptoms    61 

Tapeworm  57,  70 

Torn  Side  70 

Tuberculosis  47 

Tuberculosis  in  Brooder  CMcks  32 

Vaseline  for  Colds   71 

Vegetables ;    Balancing   Grain    and    13 

Ventilation ;  Drafts  and  Imperfect 9 

Water  a  Disease  Breeder;  Impure 7 

Watery  Eyes   66 

Weakness;   Leg    25,    69,    72 

Wet  Quarters;  Filthy  or  7 

White  Comb 51 

Worms  56,  57,  68,  70 


^^^^^''' 


^*s*rtj.- 


